SCOTLAND

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system, including the provision of hardware and software.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on salaries and pensions for Ministers in his Department since 2005.

Ann McKechin: Ministers' salaries and pensions are set out in the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975. Information on salaries and pension contributions of Scotland Office Ministers can also be found in the resource accounts of the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Publications

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much it cost to produce each of his Department's publications in each of the last three years.

Ann McKechin: The cost of producing each Scotland Office publication in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Cost (£) 
			  Publication  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09£ 
			 2006 Scotland Office Annual Report 2,637.00 - - 
			 Act of the Union booklet(1) - 6,978.00 - 
			 2007 Scotland Office Annual Report - 2,820.00 - 
			 Sorting the Ballot paper-improving the election to the Scottish Parliament, a consultation paper - 1,727.60 - 
			 Returning Officer Election Accounts 2005-06 - 3,100.72 - 
			 2008 Scotland Office Annual Report - - 3,510.69 
			 Returning Officer Election Accounts 2006-07 - - 3,115.68 
			 Government Evidence to the Commission of Scottish Devolution - - £3,309.06 
			 Returning Officer Election Accounts 2007-08 - - 3,127.53 
			 (1 )The souvenir booklet was produced as part of the 300 year anniversary of the Union of the Parliament. In addition a reception was held in Dover House to mark the tercentenary and the launch of the Mint's commemorative coin.   Note:  Figures provided exclude VAT.

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: All posts in the Scotland Office are filled by civil servants on secondment from either the Ministry of Justice or the Scottish Executive. Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code.
	Civil servants may shadow MPs as part of the Civil Service MP Attachment Scheme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. There are no staff in the Scotland Office participating in this scheme.

QinetiQ: Location

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar of 1 July 2009,  Official Report, column 308W, on Hebrides range, what the outcomes were of the meeting he hosted for the Under- Secretary of State for Defence, the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) and the Western Isles Council established task group on 1 July 2009 at Dover House.

Jim Murphy: The meeting provided a valuable opportunity for the Western Isles Council established task group including Highland and Islands Enterprise and community representatives to give their initial response to the Ministry of Defence consultative document 'Cost Saving Investment Proposals affecting the MOD Hebrides and Aberporth Ranges'. I undertook to remain in close contact with the task group. The hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr. MacNeil) attended the meeting.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the future viability of farming in Lancashire.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Farms in Lancashire are in a relatively strong economic position. The predominant farms in Lancashire are Dairy, Less Favoured Areas (LFA) grazing livestock and non LFA grazing livestock and incomes on these farms are expected to have increased in 2008-09. In each of years 2003-04 to 2007-08 inclusive, incomes at the all farm types level were slightly higher in Lancashire than for the North West Government Office region as a whole. The balance sheet position of Lancashire farms is also favourable.
	In each year, total liabilities were equivalent to less than 20 per cent. of total assets, and the average net worth (total assets less total liabilities) in 2006-07 and 2007-08 was also stronger in Lancashire than the North West region.

Air Pollution

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in levels of air pollution on meeting the Government's targets for reductions in levels of carbon dioxide by 2020.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 9 July 2009
	The effect of reductions in air pollution on meeting carbon dioxide reduction targets was considered by the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) in their 2007 report on air quality and climate change. The main recommendations of the AQEG report are included in the UK's Air Quality Strategy, which is available via the following link:
	www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/strategy/index.htm
	The AQEG report recognised both the trade-offs and synergies between air quality and climate policies and encouraged the promotion of improvement measures that reduce both air pollution and carbon dioxide levels. Examples of such 'win:win' measures include energy conservation in the home and efficiency improvements at industrial installations.

Air Pollution

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is available to local authorities to assist them in reducing air pollution.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 9 July 2009
	Local authorities are required to work towards meeting the air quality objectives in the air quality regulations 2000 by designating air quality management areas where concentrations of any of the seven pollutants in the regulations exceed, or are likely to exceed, the stated objectives. To help local authorities do this, DEFRA operates an Air Quality Grant scheme, a capital grant for which local authorities bid. All local authorities are invited each year to bid for a grant. Applications are considered and, where successful, awards made towards the cost of air quality projects. Our letter, inviting bids under the 2009-10 grant programme, together with application form is available on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/local/aqgrant/index.htm

Barn Hall

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with their counterparts in the Department for Communities and Local Government on the contract of sale for Barn Hall, Wickford, Essex.

Dan Norris: holding answer 9 July 2009
	 There has been no ministerial contact in respect of either the disposal of the former Horticultural Research Institute at Barn Hall or the planning application or subsequent planning determination. Likewise there has been no contact between officials.
	The only known contacts between departmental officials in connection with this matter were:
	December 2008: DEFRA was approached by Department for Communities and Local Government to alert DEFRA to pleadings made by Basildon district council in their request for judicial review of the decision to grant planning permission. Department for Communities and Local Government indicated that officials could not enter into any discussions regarding the determination or application for judicial review and none were undertaken.
	April 2009: Department for Communities and Local Government transferred a Freedom of Information request made by the hon. Gentleman on behalf of his constituent seeking a copy of the disposal contract to DEFRA, which has been made available.

Barn Hall

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions with Government Departments other than the Department for Communities and Local Government his Department has had on Barn Hall, with particular reference to the contract of sale.

Dan Norris: The Department has had no communications with other Government Departments in respect of the contract for sale for Barn Hall Wickford.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms in  (a) Lancashire,  (b) the North West and  (c) England were under bovine tuberculosis restrictions on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA cannot provide the information in the format that the hon. Member has requested. DEFRA collects data on the number of herds under restriction because TB measures apply to a herd and not a farm.
	The latest data (from the Vetnet system on 1 June) show that the number of herds under bovine TB restrictions on 31 March 2009 was  (a) 31 in Lancashire,  (b) 171 in the North West and  (c) 5,493 in England.
	 Note:
	Data downloaded from Vetnet are provisional and subject to change as more data become available.

Dairy Farming

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will arrange immediately to hold a conference for all interested parties to discuss the state of dairy farming.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Representatives from throughout the production and retail chain already attend the twice-yearly Dairy Supply Chain Forum. The most recent of these forums was held on 17 June 2009. Both industry and the Government felt that the key message was a need to boost market confidence.
	DEFRA will be chairing a new Horizon Scanning subgroup to identify key challenges and opportunities to help the UK dairy sector meet demand competitively.

Dairy Farming

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the application of state aid rules to compensation for dairy farmers affected by the collapse of Dairy Farmers of Britain;
	(2)  what advice he has received on the compatibility with state aid rules of compensation arrangements for farmers affected by the entry into receivership of Dairy Farmers of Britain.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Any national financial support for farmers needs to meet EU agricultural state aid rules.
	The rules require that state aid must make a real contribution to the development of specific regions or viable businesses and not purely improve the financial situation of its recipients.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used (i) on his Department's estate and (ii) by his Department's agencies in each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09.

Dan Norris: The annual energy consumption of buildings on the DEFRA and Executive Agency estate is shown in the following table. Data cannot be provided for 2008-09 at this time as it is still being verified.
	
		
			  kWh 
			   Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP Heat  CHP Electricity  Solar  Total 
			  2007-08 
			 DEFRA 11,909,719 8,560,772 406,936 242,000 132,110 88,630 0 21,340,167 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 2,257,144 2,657,816 235,347 0 0 0 0 5,150,307 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 172,057 164,176 28,173 0 0 0 0 364,406 
			 RPA 8,044,716 5,495,993 367,759 0 0 0 0 13,908,468 
			 CEFAS 5,592,769 4,341,667 0 0 0 0 0 9,934,436 
			 CSL 19,366,330 25,820,972 9,630 0 0 0 0 45,196,932 
			 VLA 17,767,232 17,760,110 3,558,555 0 660,000 2,223,000 0 41,968,897 
			 Total 65,109,967 64,801,506 4,606,400 242,000 792,110 2,311,630 0 137,863,613 
			  
			  2006-07 
			 DEFRA 12,876,317 10,140,841 1,148,301 0 0 0 0 24,165,459 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 2,233,637 2,131,606 236,273 0 0 0 0 4,601,516 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 145,643 153,681 49,400 0 0 0 0 348,724 
			 RPA 8,299,745 4,589,502 210,108 0 0 0 0 13,099,355 
			 CEFAS 5,398,601 3,884,647 0 0 0 0 0 9,283,248 
			 CSL 21,310,786 23,771,253 17,880 0 0 0 0 45,099,918 
			 VLA 15,576,608 24,039,096 2,290,760 0 7,497,000 8,004,000 0 57,407,464 
			 Total 65,841,337 68,710,626 3,952,721 0 7,497,000 8,004,000 0 154,005,683 
			  
			  2005-06 
			 DEFRA 15,647,140 13,485,901 1,453,514 314,466 0 0 0 30,901,021 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 164,083 126,609 0 0 0 0 0 290,692 
			 SVS (formed 1 April 2005) 3,358,863 4,174,618 374,353 0 0 0 11,066 7,918,899 
			 RPA 8,556,851 5,885,659 310,182 0 0 0 0 14,732,692 
			 CEFAS 5,148,877 4,610,481 0 0 0 0 0 9,759,358 
			 CSL 13,701,553 20,049,704 28,927 0 0 0 0 33,780,184 
			 VLA 12,786,601 52,079,013 450,804 0 0 8,117,584 0 73,434,002 
			 Total 59,363,968 100,391,986 2,617,779 314,466 0 8,117,584 11,066 170,816,849 
			  
			  2004-05 
			 DEFRA 17,273,446 15,291,837 1,210,893 1,088,370 0 0 44,188 34,908,734 
			 RPA 7,637,183 5,551,080 86,217 0 0 0 0 13,274,480 
			 CEFAS 5,152,393 4,339,638 0 0 0 0 0 9,492,031 
			 CSL 13,210,227 15,941,104 18,672 0 0 0 0 29,170,003 
			 VLA 10,162,812 25,276,043 750,009 0 3,780,804 7,770,416 0 47,740,084 
			 Total 53,436,061 66,399,702 2,065,791 1,088,370 3,780,804 7,770,416 44,188 134,585,332 
			  Key:  WDHS: Whitehall District Heating System CHP: Combined Heat and Power   Notes:  1. Whitehall District Heating System was out of operation for refurbishment works during 2005-06.  2. CHP Heat data for 2005-06 is missing.  3. Solar technology installed in 2003-04; system taken out of operation in 2006-07.  4. MFA data in 2005-06 is for the whole year; we are unable to split the data before and after the agency was formed.:

Departmental Lost Property

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laptop computers belonging to  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have been lost or stolen in the last five years.

Dan Norris: The following figures show the reported number of thefts/losses of laptops from 2005. The recent increases should be seen against the background of a significant increase in the numbers of laptops in use; for example, the numbers of IBM laptops issued across the DEFRA network under the enabling contract has increased more than six fold from some 1,200 in 2005 to over 7,500 in 2009, as we have gradually replaced desktops with encrypted laptops to reduce environmental impacts and make it easier for staff to work remotely.
	
		
			   Core DEFRA  Animal Health  Natural England  Veterinary Laboratories Agency  Laptops 
			 2005-06 n/a n/a n/a n/a 18 
			 2006-07 n/a n/a n/a n/a 22 
			 2007-08 n/a n/a n/a n/a 13 
			 2008-09 20 17 15 2 54 
			 2008-09(1) (to date) 6 0 0 0 6 
		
	
	Prior to 2008-09 figures were only recorded as a total covering DEFRA and the agencies together.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which  (a) magazines,  (b) journals and  (c) newspapers his Department subscribes; and what the cost of such subscriptions has been in each of the last three years.

Dan Norris: For the last three years DEFRA's expenditure on magazines, journals and newspapers subscriptions through its library service is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 72,000 
			 2007-08 64,747 
			 2008-09 55,862 
		
	
	To list all the publication subscriptions through the library service would incur disproportionate cost.
	DEFRA press office separately subscribes to the following magazines, journals and newspapers:
	 Daily Express
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Star
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Evening Standard
	 Financial
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 Mail on Sunday
	 Mirror
	 News of the World
	 Observer
	 Radio Times
	 Sun
	 Sunday Business Magazine
	 Sunday Express
	 Sunday Mirror
	 Sunday People
	 Sunday Telegraph
	 Sunday Times
	 Times
	 TV Times
	 Agbiotech Reporter
	 Angler's Mail
	 Angling Times
	 Cage and Aviary Birds
	 Countryman
	 Dog World-Ashford
	 Ecologist
	 Ends Report
	 Environmental Standards Certification Kit and Environmental News
	 European Venture Capital Journal
	 Farmers Weekly-Haywards Heath
	 Field-Haywards Heath
	 Fishing News
	 Grocer
	 Grower and Special Supplement Editions
	 Horse and Hound
	 Horticulture Week
	 Job-London
	 Lawyer-London
	 Local Government Chronicle and LGC Finance
	 Local Government News
	 Marketing Week-London
	 National Geographic
	 Nature: UK Edition
	 New Civil Engineer
	 New Scientist-UK Edition
	 Press Gazette-The Weekly for All Journalists
	 PRWeek-UK Edition
	 Regeneration and Renewal
	 Research Fortnight
	 Science: International Edition-AAAS
	 Shooting Sports
	 Trends in Biotechnology
	 Waste Management
	 Western Morning News.
	DEFRA's expenditure on these newspapers, magazines and periodicals is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 26,871 
			 2008-09 26,871 
		
	
	DEFRA does not hold figures for 2006 press office expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals.
	There are no central records of subscriptions held by business units or individuals who have subscribed directly rather than via the library service or by the press office. These figures could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	All figures exclude spend on newspapers, magazines and periodicals by DEFRA local offices and the Department's Executive agencies. These figures could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what companies provided  (a) goods and  (b) services to his Department in 2008-09.

Dan Norris: I will place in the Library of the House the names of each organisation that supplied goods, services and works to the core-Department in 2008-09 based on the purchase order data held in the core-Department's financial database.

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code.
	Civil servants may shadow MPs as part of a programme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. Details on numbers of civil servants from this Department that have had such an attachment cannot be obtained within disproportionate cost limits.

Domestic Waste: Research

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has commissioned on household waste prevention in the last 12 months.

Dan Norris: DEFRA is completing a major review study to help distil the evidence emerging from research work completed by the Department and other organisations on waste prevention. The work has been undertaken by the contractors Brook Lyndhurst, in association with the Social Marketing Practice and the Resource Recovery Forum. The project team has been working with DEFRA staff to consolidate findings from the Waste and Resources Evidence Programme, the Environmental Behaviours Unit and other parts of DEFRA, together with work undertaken by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Environment Agency and other relevant published work.
	Specific waste prevention research work commissioned by WRAP over the past 12 months includes:
	Home composting diversion modelling at household and district levels;
	Reuse: studies of drivers, activities, arisings and potential in the UK;
	Evaluation of waste reduction advisers;
	Review of life cycle assessments of reusable packaging;
	Development of guidance on food waste reduction champions model.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has issued on the use of wheelie bins for the collection of household waste.

Dan Norris: Neither DEFRA nor WRAP has issued any specific guidance on the use of wheelie bins for collection of household waste.
	Each local authority decides the size, type and number of bins needed to handle the average amount of waste generated between collections in households in their area.
	Among the many conclusions and recommendations made by the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Select Committee report on Waste Collection in July 2007, was the endorsement of the Government's policy of leaving local authorities to make arrangements for waste collection, based on local resources and needs.

Environment Protection: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding  (a) his Department and  (b) the Environment Agency has allocated to the (i) Capital Standards project and (ii) London Environment Directors' Network in the last five years; and for what projects such funding was allocated.

Dan Norris: In October 2005 the Environment Agency made a payment of £3,000 to the Capital Standards project. The membership has enabled the Environment Agency to be more engaged with local authorities on fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour.
	The Environment Agency have found no record of having made a payment to the London Environment Directors' Network.

Environmental Protection Act 1990

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many requests for communications data were made by the Environment Agency to communication service providers (CSPs) under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in  (a) 2000,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2002,  (d) 2003,  (e) 2004,  (f) 2005,  (g) 2006,  (h) 2007 and  (i) 2008; and how many of these requests resulted in the requested communications data being disclosed by the relevant CSP.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Environment Agency was granted powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) for Communications Data in 2004 and therefore no prior data to this exists.
	Under RIPA legislation, only authorised requests are sent to the CSP and, once authorised, the CSP has a legal responsibility to comply with the request, if the data exists. Environment Agency records show that in all cases the CSP has responded to the request.
	The Environment Agency made the following number of requests to CSPs between 2004 and 2008:
	
		
			   Number of applications to CSPs: 
			 2004 34 
			 2005 98 
			 2006 96 
			 2007 55 
			 2008 53

Fairtrade Initiative

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the food retail sector on support for ethical procurement initiatives.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In developing our future strategy for a sustainable food system, our officials have held ongoing discussions with stakeholders, including food retailers, on the issue of consumer demand for food produced to a range of ethical and environmental standards.

Food: Transport

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government have taken to provide incentives to reduce food miles travelled in England.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Distance food has travelled, on its own, is not a good measure of sustainability (AEA Technology (2005) The Validity of Food Miles as an Indicator for Sustainable Development), but Government do want to address the environmental costs associated with the transport (as well as the production and consumption) of food-such as carbon emissions and congestion. Government have been working with the food industry to identify ways of reducing the sector's environmental impacts overall, and in doing so, improving efficiency across the supply chain. In response to recommendations made in the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (DEFRA, May 2006), the British Retail Consortium developed a set of commitments to reduce their members' environmental impacts and the Food and Drink Federation developed their Five-Fold Ambition. Both these initiatives set targets to reduce the environmental impacts of food transport in the UK. The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) is also spearheading a voluntary initiative on 'sustainable distribution' for the food and grocery industry.

Food: Waste

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an estimate of the volume and proportion of food from  (a) supermarkets,  (b) households,  (c) restaurants and other eating establishments and  (d) other sources which became food waste in the last year for which figures are available.

Dan Norris: The DEFRA-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) undertook research in 2007 to quantify the amounts and types of household food waste produced in the UK. According to its report "The Food We Waste", UK households waste 6.7 million tonnes of food every year: around one third of what is bought.
	WRAP is currently undertaking research on the amounts of food waste produced by the retail sector and its supply chain and by the hospitality industry. This research will be published later in 2009.
	Based on a range of data sources, WRAP has estimated that, in total, the UK produces between 18 and 20 million tonnes of food waste per year from all sources.

Greyhounds: Animal Welfare

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from  (a) animal welfare groups and  (b) the general public on his proposed regulations on the welfare of racing greyhounds.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA is currently consulting on proposals for new regulations for the welfare of racing greyhounds. The consultation closes on 22 July 2009 and a full summary of the responses to the consultation will be published shortly thereafter. Prior to the public consultation, DEFRA set up a number of working groups to provide input into the proposals. The working groups contained representatives of the industry, the veterinary profession, local authorities, the devolved administrations and animal welfare groups.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter dated 8 June 2009 from the hon. Member for Chichester on Dairy Farmers of Britain.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I wrote to the hon. Member for Chichester on 9 July 2009 and apologise for the delay in responding.

Ozone

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to reduce levels of ozone in urban areas to within the limits prescribed by EU legislation by 2010.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Council Directive (2002/3/EC) sets target values for ozone for the protection of human health and ecosystems, to be attained by 2010. Ground level ozone is formed when sunlight acts on nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other atmospheric substances close to the ground. The pollutants that cause ground level ozone come from a range of sources including industry and combustion sources such as road transport and power generation. Ozone formation can take place over several hours or days and may arise from emissions thousands of kilometres away.
	Emissions of ozone precursors across the EU are controlled by the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC) which sets limits on the amounts of NOx and VOCs that each member state can emit annually, with ceilings to be met by 2010. The 1999 Gothenburg Protocol does the same for a larger group of countries under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe. The UK is currently below its 2010 VOC ceiling and is committed to meeting its NOx ceiling as soon as possible.

Recycling

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking together with local authorities to  (a) promote and  (b) facilitate commercial waste recycling.

Dan Norris: DEFRA funds the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) centre for local authorities which has a network of over 800 local authority officers involved with business resource efficiency activities. It has funded over 60 local authority projects that provide resource efficiency services or support to their local business communities. The centre disseminates examples of successful recycling schemes to other councils to encourage them to consider whether they may be able to offer recycling services and support on resource efficiency and waste reduction.

Recycling

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for future levels of compulsory recycling for households; and what guidance  (a) his Department,  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme and  (c) the Waste Improvement Network has issued to local authorities on the matter.

Dan Norris: Decisions on local waste collection services, including recycling are taken by local authorities in line with local circumstances and priorities.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has issued no guidance to local authorities on the subject of compulsory recycling for households.
	The Waste Improvement Network (WIN) has not issued advice or guidance on compulsory recycling. WIN exists to share information between councils, and publish guidance from all available sources in one place on waste management issues, and so does not issue advice. It has, however, published some documents on the subject of existing compulsory recycling schemes in councils in England. These documents are usually written either by or for local authorities.

Recycling: Conferences

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each  (a) speech and  (b) presentation made by the representatives of the Waste and Resources Action Programme at the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee's conference held in November 2008.

Dan Norris: A copy of the presentations requested made at the 2008 Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee conference on food waste has been placed in the Library of the House.

Recycling: Public Consultation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many consultation responses his Department received on  (a) application and designation guidance,  (b) technical issues guidance,  (c) finance guidance,  (d) coverage and disadvantaged groups guidance and  (e) unauthorised deposit or disposal guidance in its June 2008 consultation on incentives for recycling by households.

Dan Norris: The Department received 29 responses in total to its informal June 2008 consultation on incentives for recycling by households, which also included the recycling service guidance. The number of respondents who commented specifically on each piece of guidance are listed as follows:
	
		
			   Number of respondents who commented specifically on each piece of guidance 
			 Application and designation guidance 1 
			 Technical issues guidance 3 
			 Finance guidance 1 
			 Coverage and disadvantaged groups guidance 3 
			 Unauthorised deposit or disposal guidance 3 
		
	
	11 responses were also received which commented on all five of the documents. Three responses made general comments. Nine responses were received on the recycling service guidance.

Recycling: South East

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities in  (a) the South East and  (b) London provide a commercial waste recycling service.

Dan Norris: As at February 2009, 17 (out of 75) local authorities in the South East and 23 (out of 37) in London were providing trade waste recycling services.
	 Source:
	Local Authority Trade Waste Recycling Survey, BREW Centre

Waste and Resources Action Programme

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure the Waste and Resources Action Programme has incurred on overseas travel in the last 24 months.

Dan Norris: The total expenditure incurred by the Waste and Resources Action Programme on overseas travel amounted to £15,728 over the two years 2007-08 and 2008-09 (i.e. between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2009).

Waste and Resources Action Programme

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 401W, on the Waste and Resources Action Programme, whether the liaison activity funded by the Waste and Resources Action Programme included liaison with  (a) official representatives of  (b) hon. Members from and  (c) noble Lords from (i) the Conservative Party, (ii) the Labour Party and (iii) the Liberal Democrats.

Dan Norris: Yes. Meetings were scheduled with interested representatives from all three main parties, including both hon. Members and noble Lords.

Waste and Resources Action Programme: Manpower

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's staff work on matters relating to alternate weekly collections.

Dan Norris: WRAP has a team of 14 advisers who are available to support and advise local authorities on their waste and recycling services. Advice covers improvements to existing services and the introduction of new services-which can include the introduction of alternate weekly collection of household waste. All support provided by WRAP is at the request of individual local authorities.

Waste Disposal: Eco-Towns

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department,  (b) the Environment Agency and  (c) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has provided to potential eco-town developers on policies on household waste for adoption in eco-towns.

Dan Norris: The Environment Agency has had discussions on the practical application of the waste worksheet with a number of potential eco-town developers.
	DEFRA and the Environment Agency have also worked closely with the Town and Country Planning Association on a series of worksheets, including one on waste management, which set out principles, information and flexible models for best practice on a range of themes relevant to eco-towns. These worksheets are being made available as a resource for planning and designing eco-towns.
	Neither DEFRA nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme have provided any separate or additional guidance to potential eco-town developers on household waste management policies.
	The environmental standards that eco-towns will be expected to meet, including on waste management, will be set out in the Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's Waste Prevention Toolkit.

Dan Norris: WRAP's waste prevention toolkit is an online tool, rather than a document. It is not therefore possible to deposit a copy in the Library of the House.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the analysis undertaken by the Waste and Resources Action Programme into the efficiency and effectiveness of waste management models used by local authorities.

Dan Norris: WRAP published a study entitled "Kerbside recycling: indicative costs and performance" in 2008. A copy of this study has been placed in the Library of the House.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 May 2009,  Official Report, column 904W, on waste management, and with reference to the minutes of his Department's Waste Stakeholders Group meeting of 30 November 2007, whether his Department has a communications strategy on residual waste.

Dan Norris: DEFRA is currently reviewing its communications strategy on waste, including on residual waste, and will be updating the waste stakeholder group on progress in the autumn.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on waste prevention, reference: WSG05NOV07, circulated at the meeting of his Department's Waste Stakeholders Group of 30 November 2007;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on medium term risks to the waste strategy, reference: WSG04FEB00, circulated at the meeting of his Department's Waste Stakeholders Group on 25 February 2008;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 May 2009,  Official Report, column 904W, on waste management, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the papers circulated in respect of each of the meetings of the Waste Stakeholder Group.

Dan Norris: I am arranging for copies of the documents requested to be placed in the Library of the House.

DEFENCE

Armoured Personnel Carriers: Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of safety measures on armoured personnel carriers deployed in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We continue to keep under review the measures in place to ensure the protection of the remaining British forces in Iraq. A small number of protected personnel carriers currently remain in the country, giving commanders the ability to choose the most appropriate vehicle for the limited missions and tasks which remain.

Navistar Defence Husky

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Navistar Defence Husky tactical support vehicle in each theatre of operation in the last two years.

Quentin Davies: The Husky Tactical Support Vehicle is specifically designed for Afghanistan. As it will enter service later this year, there has not yet been an assessment of its performance in theatre. The vehicle has, however, successfully passed stringent mine blast protection tests. I cannot comment on the levels of protection afforded by the vehicle, as disclosure could prejudice the security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the projected costs of military operations in Afghanistan in each of the next three years.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge).

Afghanistan

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire).

Nuclear Deterrent

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards procurement of the next generation of the nuclear deterrent; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards procurement of the next generation of the nuclear deterrent; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands).

Budget Headings

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his Department's budget headings are planned to have reductions in the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Plan 2008-12, available in the Library of the House, sets out in Section IV the planned Defence budget up to 2010-11, reflecting the outcome of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.
	This includes a high level breakdown of the planned budgets for top level budget holders in the Department. The detailed allocation of these are reviewed during regular planning rounds to reflect current Defence priorities and commitments. It is not our practice to announce these detailed allocations-although major changes to the Defence programme, when made and appropriate, are announced in the usual way.
	Departmental expenditure limits have not yet been set for the years beyond 2010-11.

Infantry Regiments

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for future numbers of infantry regiments; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: There are currently 36 infantry battalions. While we constantly review the structure of the infantry, we currently have no plans for this to change.

Operation Herrick

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what upper limit has been placed on the number of troops participating in Operation Herrick.

Bob Ainsworth: The endorsed force level for Operation Herrick is 8,300.
	On 29 April 2009,  Official Report, column 869, the Prime Minister announced the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan to provide extra security during the Afghan election period. This has for the present increased troop numbers in Afghanistan to 9,000.

Kyle of Lochalsh

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the contribution towards UK defence requirements of his Department's facilities at Kyle of Lochalsh and the surrounding area; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The maritime ranges in the area around Kyle of Lochalsh make a valuable contribution to UK defence capabilities. However, work by QinetiQ, which operates the ranges on our behalf, shows that the service could be delivered more efficiently by centralising range control at a single base at Kyle of Lochalsh. We are investigating separately whether this change could be combined with an enhancement to range capability.

Trident

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost to his Department of replacing Trident.

Bob Ainsworth: The estimated procurement costs for replacing the Trident nuclear deterrent are £15-20 billion, at 2006-07 prices for a four-boat fleet. Once the new fleet of submarines comes into service annual in-service capital and running costs of the deterrent, which includes the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, are expected to be similar to today. This cost is currently around 5 to 6 per cent. of the annual defence budget.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the defects at the service family accommodation at Jubilee Buildings, Queens Terrace, St. John's Wood; what his Department's remedial plan for this accommodation is; and what the  (a) timetable and  (b) budget is for its repair.

Kevan Jones: As might be expected after decades of underinvestment there are many issues arising from these properties and the accommodation is not of the high standard to which we aspire.
	Although essential maintenance and repairs continue to be carried out and issues raised by occupants are addressed, these properties are not required beyond 2011 and accordingly no major modernisation or improvement works are planned.
	I have also asked for an update on these buildings and will write following this.
	 Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Andrew Murrison
	In my answer of 14 May 2009  Official Report, column 937W I promised to write to you with an update regarding the Service Family Accommodation (SFA) at Jubilee Buildings, Queens Terrace, St John's Wood.
	As stated in my earlier answer, due to decades of underinvestment there are issues arising from the SFA at Jubilee Buildings, which is leased by the Department to house the families of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery (KTRHA) based at St John's Wood Barracks. The SFA is no longer required after the KTRHA's planned relocation to Woolwich in 2011, so it would not be an appropriate use of defence funds to carry out any major maintenance, modernisation or upgrade work.
	However, we remain committed to carrying out essential maintenance and repairs and address any issues raised by occupants. In addition to the frequent visits made by Modern Housing Solutions, the contractor responsible for the maintenance of the SFA, the Department's Area Housing Manager visited the SFA on 29 May 2009 to better understand current issues, discuss concerns with occupants, identify immediate solutions to some and hasten outstanding essential maintenance work.
	I have asked officials to keep me updated on progress and I will ensure you are also kept informed.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the new spend on  (a) each married quarters estate and  (b) married quarters in total (i) was in 2008-09 and (ii) is projected to be in each of the next five years.

Kevan Jones: In 2008-09 the Ministry of Defence spent some £48 million on new projects and upgrades relating to its worldwide holdings of Service Family Accommodation (SFA). Of this expenditure around £40 million was in respect of SFA in the UK, £7 million in Cyprus and £1 million in Germany.
	A breakdown of the major elements of expenditure on the UK SFA, by location is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Location  £ million 
			 Abingdon 0.8 
			 Aldershot 1.1 
			 Brize Norton 1.0 
			 Blandford 5.9 
			 Bulford 0.4 
			 Catterick 0.2 
			 Chester 6.0 
			 Chicksands 2.0 
			 Colchester 0.7 
			 Coningsby 0.7 
			 Cranwell 0.2 
			 Craigiehall 0.5 
			 Elgin 0.4 
			 Giffnock/Hampden 0.2 
			 High Wycombe 1.5 
			 Leeming 1.6 
			 Leuchars 0.4 
			 Lisburn, Northern Ireland 4.1 
			 Innsworth 2.0 
			 Invicta Park 3.5 
			 Peninsular Towers, London 0.4 
			 Warminster 0.8 
			 Williams Gardens, Putney 3.0 
			 Total 37.4 
		
	
	The Department was planning to spend £48 million in each year of the next five years on the upgrade of SFA to its highest standard for condition. However as the hon. Member will know from the Budget statement on 22 April 2009, this Department is bringing forward £50 million to be spent on accommodation.
	The details of this expenditure have yet to be determined. I will write to the hon. Member when a decision has been taken.
	 Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Andrew Murrison:
	In my answer of 1 June 2009 (Official Report: Column 36W) I undertook to write to you with details of how the £50 million of advanced funding will be spent on improving Service accommodation.
	Both single Service personnel and Service families will benefit from this expenditure which will be spread across 19 locations in Great Britain. As well as the provision of new accommodation, the £50 million will be spent on upgrading existing accommodation and other improvements such as new fixtures and fittings. Projects benefited by the £50 million advance will include, SFA at South Cerney, Cirencester, and Peninsula Towers, Knightsbridge, London. Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Lille Barracks, Aldershot; Mooltan Barracks, Tidworth; and at Woolwich; Marchwood; Minley; Chivenor, Stonehouse; Culdrose; Condor; Plymouth; Lympstone; Yeovilton; Halton; Waddington; Wittering; Marham; and Lossiemouth, will also benefit.
	This forms part of the more than £3 billion which the Government plans to spend on improving Service accommodation over the next 10 years.

Armed Forces: Mental Health

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of current and former armed forces personnel likely to experience mental illness during the next 10 years as a result of their military service.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of current and former armed forces personnel likely to experience mental illness during the next 10 years as a result of their military service.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Nadine Dorries).

Armed Forces: Swine Flu

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed services have been diagnosed with swine flu.

Kevan Jones: I will answer shortly.
	 Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Mike Penning:
	As at 6 July 2009, the MOD was aware of 47 military personnel having been confirmed or clinically diagnosed as having the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.
	This number only includes cases that have been formally reported to the Department. There may be other cases, for example where military personnel have been assessed by a civilian GP or hospital, but have not then reported it through the military medical chain or chain of command.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) instructors and  (b) recruits there are in each training establishment listed in the Ofsted report on the duty of care for recruits and trainees in the armed forces.

Bill Rammell: The instructor and recruit numbers for the training establishment listed in the Ofsted Report on the duty of care for recruits and trainees in the armed forces for financial year 2008-09 are shown in the table (rounded to the nearest 10):
	
		
			  Training establishment  Instructors  Recruits/trainees 
			 25 Training Regiment-Deepcut 200 2,010 
			 Defence Medical Services Training Centre 50 350 
			 HMS Raleigh 80 570 
			 Army Training Centre, Pirbright 310 4,260 
			 RAF Halton, Recruit Training Squadron 130 890 
			 Defence School of Transport 690 (1)7,870 
			 RAF Regiment, Regimental Training Squadron (Basics), RAF Honington 60 300 
			 Army School of Ammunition, Kineton 50 70 
			 Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines 350 890 
			 Army Training Regiment, Bassingbourn 200 1,790 
			 Army Training Regiment, Winchester 150 1,220 
			 Infantry Training Centre, Catterick 640 3,650 
			 (1) Some individuals may attend more than one course at the Defence School of Transport during the year and therefore may be shown more than once in the figures.  Note: These figures show a combination of phase 1 recruits and phase 2 trainees, depending on the establishment. Some combined phase 1 and phase 2 courses are run at Infantry Training Centre, Catterick and RAF Regiment, Regimental Training Squadron (Basics), RAF Honington.

BVT Shipyards

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in his Department's negotiations with BVT Shipyards on a terms of business agreement.

Quentin Davies: MOD and BVT Surface Fleet Ltd. are working to establish a new long-term incentive based terms of business agreement (TOBA), which is intended to provide MOD with the confidence that industry can deliver significant improvements in efficiency and performance needed to underpin the future programme, while providing industry with the confidence to enable investment and long-term planning. Commercial negotiations with BVT are at an advanced stage.

BVT Shipyards

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department is giving to BVT Shipyards to promote its shipbuilding facilities and services in export markets.

Quentin Davies: Government support to the export efforts of the UK defence industry, including BVT Surface Fleet Ltd., is led by UKTI. The MOD works closely with UKTI's defence and security organisation on these matters.

BVT Shipyards

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when representatives of his Department last met representatives of BVT Shipyards; and what was discussed.

Quentin Davies: The MOD is BVT Surface Fleet Ltd.'s (BVT) principal customer and has had meetings and discussions with BVT since the inception of the joint venture.

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently implementing the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) (DII(F)). DII(F) will, once delivered in full, incorporate around 140,000 terminals supporting some 300,000 users at over 2,000 defence sites worldwide, including on ships and deployed operations. DII currently uses Internet Explorer 6 and at the current time does not have a requirement to move to an updated version.
	At the current time, the MOD has various other IT systems, which include closed, isolated and restricted use networks-some of these will necessarily fall outside the scope of DII due to their purpose. The information requested for each of these systems could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made to his Department's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Quentin Davies: None, although we continue to keep our office equipment and stationery purchasing policies under review.

Detainees

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement of 26 February 2009, who the authors of each of the papers sent to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Home Department in April 2006 were; and what the subject matter of each paper was.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 March 2009
	 These papers were written in the Cabinet Office and provided an update to Ministers, which informed HMG's evidence collection for the ISC's July 2007 Report into Rendition.

Gurkhas: Pensions

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on his Department's future policy on the Gurkha pension scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The Department has received representations from Members of both Houses of Parliament in the form of correspondence and parliamentary questions. An early-day motion has also been tabled on the subject. These representations are linked to the British Gurkha Welfare Society's campaign to pay Gurkhas pensions at Armed Forces Pension Scheme rates.

Hercules Aircraft: RAF Brize Norton

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the capital cost will be of relocating the Hercules fleet to RAF Brize Norton; and what his latest estimate is of the number of years of revenue savings that cost will equate to.

Quentin Davies: The capital cost of relocating the RAF CI30 Hercules fleet from RAF Lyneham to RAF Brize Norton is currently estimated to be approximately £60 million. This figure excludes service accommodation costs which cannot be accurately attributed to the CI30 Hercules fleet as distinct from other units at RAF Brize Norton. This figure should be fully offset by savings in running costs within the first four years.

Intelligence Corps

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) fit for duty strength of each rank in the Intelligence Corps has been in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The Intelligence Corps (Int Corps) consists of a Military Intelligence Brigade that includes three Regular Battalions-1, 2 and 4 Military Intelligence Battalions.
	The figures requested are provided in the tables. Due to implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, data from 1 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review.
	
		
			  Required strength 
			   January 
			  Rank  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  Officers  
			 Lieutenant Colonel 21 18 18 23 23 23 21 21 21 23 32 32 35 
			 Major 66 64 63 73 73 73 90 90 86 108 110 108 101 
			 Captain 115 96 96 110 110 110 104 104 90 112 124 126 131 
			 Subaltern (Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant) 21 22 18 21 21 21 20 20 18 24 26 29 37 
			   
			  Other ranks  
			 Warrant Officer 1 35 25 23 26 26 26 29 29 27 23 30 29 28 
			 Warrant Officer 2 157 145 138 154 154 154 159 159 137 165 178 177 180 
			 Staff Sergeant 141 132 132 134 134 134 144 144 143 136 161 164 157 
			 Sergeant 294 271 267 295 295 295 301 301 272 294 326 308 305 
			 Corporal 224 217 228 222 222 222 327 327 340 343 398 396 432 
			 Lance Corporal 182 180 166 167 167 167 185 185 185 212 210 175 173 
			 Private - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
		
	
	
		
			  Actual strength 
			   April  March  April 
			  Rank  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  Officers  
			 Lieutenant Colonel 25 25 25 30 35 35 35 35 35 35 40 45 40 
			 Major 105 100 100 100 95 90 100 110 115 105 105 110 95 
			 Captain 100 100 100 110 100 100 105 95 85 95 100 115 120 
			 Subaltern (Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant) 30 25 25 25 25 20 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 
			   
			  Other ranks  
			 Warrant Officer 1 35 35 35 35 35 35 40 45 45 45 40 35 35 
			 Warrant Officer 2 150 145 135 145 145 140 145 155 165 165 185 170 165 
			 Staff Sergeant 150 160 165 165 165 170 160 160 160 160 160 165 160 
			 Sergeant 200 190 185 175 165 205 215 210 220 230 225 210 210 
			 Corporal 205 165 165 145 140 180 230 255 320 290 295 295 270 
			 Lance Corporal 180 160 145 185 200 265 245 235 230 245 275 300 320 
			 Private 10 25 20 10 5 20 15 15 (1)- 35 5 (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Fewer than five. 
		
	
	Fit for duty has been interpreted as fit for primary role, including personnel listed as having limited deployability, and personnel unfit for duty in their primary role but who can perform a role in an alternative capacity. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports have been recorded in respect of each helicopter type in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Fleet Air Arm and  (c) Royal Air Force in 2009 to date.

Quentin Davies: MOD Form 760 (MF760) is the mandated process for the users to report aircraft faults which include accidental damage, maintenance related failures, breakdowns, and the failure of items fitted to the aircraft. Information on the numbers of such reports raised on each helicopter type for the period 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Helicopter type( 1)  Service  Helicopter, number of 760s  Engine type  Engine( 2,)  number of 760s 
			 Agusta A109A/AM (includes engines) Army 1 - - 
			 Apache Army 211 RTM322 Mk120 2 
			 Chinook Mk2/2A RAF 7 T55 0 
			 Gazelle Army 6 Astazou 3N2 0 
			 Lynx Mk3/8 RN (3)8 Gem 0 
			 Lynx Mk7/9 Army (3)5 Gem 2 
			 Merlin Mk1 RN 119 RTM322 Mk100 3 
			 Merlin Mk3 RAF 5 RTM322 Mk 200 1 
			 Merlin Mk3a RAF 3 RTM322 Mk250 0 
			 Puma RAF 19 Turmo 1 
			 Sea King-All Mks RN and RAF 63 Gnome 1 
			 (1 )Commodity items have been excluded. As many items are common to more than one platform the information on these items is not held in a format that would be useful for this answer. (2 )Helicopter engines are administered by a single project team and are identified separately, except in the case of Agusta A109A/AM. (3 )In addition there were 41 MF760s applicable to both Army and RN Lynx. 
		
	
	The data do not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and do not, therefore, differentiate between what might later prove to have been operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor do the data indicate the severity of the failure which might have had no discernible impact on operational capability or safety. These figures do not include any instances of equipment defects that have not been formally reported by the user.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports have been recorded for each aircraft type in the armed forces in 2009 to date.

Quentin Davies: MOD Form 760 is the mandated process for users to report aircraft faults which include accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, and the failure of items fitted to the aircraft. Information on the numbers of such reports raised on the fixed-wing aircraft fleets for the period 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Aircraft  Number of MOD Form 760s 
			 Typhoon 40 
			 Tornado GR4/F3 90 
			 Harrier GR7/GR9/T12 69 
			 Nimrod MR2/R1 41 
			 Tristar 2 
			 VC10 10 
			 Sentry 6 
			 Sentinel 36 
			 Hercules C-130K 8 
			 Hercules C-130J 7 
			 C-17 0 
			 BAE 125 1 
			 BAE 146 0 
			 Dominie 0 
			 Hawk T1/T2 14 
			 Tucano 2 
			 Jetstream 1 
			 Vigilant Glider 0 
			 Viking Glider 0 
		
	
	The table excludes MOD Form 760s raised for items or equipments that are common to more than one platform.
	These data do not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and do not, therefore, differentiate between what might later prove to have been operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor do the data indicate the severity of the failure, which might have had no discernible impact on operational capability or safety. These figures do not include any instances of equipment defects that have not been formally reported by the user.

Military Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost per flying hour of a  (a) Tornado and  (b) Typhoon jet.

Quentin Davies: I will write to the hon. Member.

RAF Lyneham

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost to his Department of the closure of RAF Lyneham.

Bill Rammell: The closure of RAF Lyneham is currently estimated to have no net cost, since the costs of closing the station are anticipated to be more than offset by savings in future running costs.

Somalia: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the unclassified version of the Combined Maritime Forces Headquarters daily counterpiracy campaign update slide for each Monday of each month since February 2009.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bill Rammell to Liam Fox:
	My predecessor undertook to write to you with the information promised in the reply given to you on 27 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1024W requesting copies of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Headquarters daily counterpiracy campaign update slides. A CD containing these slides at weekly intervals from 17 February to 29 June 2009 will be placed in the Library of the House.
	The CMF is a coalition of 23 nations whose mission is to establish and maintain security in the international waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula by defeating terrorism, preventing piracy, and reducing the illegal traffic of people and drugs. It is also tasked with responding to environmental and humanitarian crises within its area of operations.
	The counterpiracy update slides are presented daily to CMF personnel from member navies and coastguards.

Tornado Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft are  (a) in operation and  (b) undergoing or awaiting repair or service.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   In service fleet  Aircraft awaiting or undergoing maintenance or upgrade 
			 Tornado GR4 138 49 
			 Tornado F3 39 3 
		
	
	The Tornado fleet is managed to ensure that sufficient aircraft are available to meet operational commitments. To sustain this, at any one time a number of aircraft will be undergoing or awaiting maintenance or upgrade. The figures above are typical for the Tornado GR4 Fleet. For the Tornado F3 Fleet, the figures reflect the reduced maintenance commitment during the fleet drawdown.

Tornado Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maintenance costs of the Tornado fleet per aircraft were in the last year for which figures are available.

Quentin Davies: Based on the logistic support costs of defence equipment and support that can be directly attributed to the Tornado fleet, the average cost of providing logistic support to the Tornado aircraft in financial year 2008-09 was £1.6 million per aircraft. This figure does not include funding for capability upgrades or DE&S staff costs.

Warships: Construction

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's naval shipyard capacity.

Quentin Davies: The Department set out its assessment of the adequacy of the UK's naval shipyard capacity in the 2005 Defence Industrial Strategy (Cmnd 6697). The Department is committed to work with its industrial partners to manage rationalisation of, and performance improvements in, the UK maritime industrial base to create a sustainable, world-class UK maritime sector.

Weapons: Lost Property

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) weapons and  (b) rounds of ammunition for which (i) his Department has and (ii) the armed forces have responsibility have gone missing in Scotland in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value was of such weapons and ammunition.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what representations she has received on the potential effects of proposals in the Equality Bill on specialist domestic violence services for women.

Maria Eagle: We have received written representations from End Violence Against Women, Women Against Fundamentalism, Southall Black Sisters, Engender, Justice for Women, the Muslim Women's Network and a summary of responses from Women's National Commission partner organisations.
	In June 2009 officials from the Government Equalities Office met with representatives from End Violence Against Women, Southall Black Sisters, Women Against Fundamentalism, and the Poppy project to discuss their concerns that the extension of the equality duty to religion and belief might have a negative impact on how local authorities fund specialist domestic violence services for women. The Government firmly believe these concerns are misplaced, and that the duty will encourage public bodies to consider the impact of their decisions on tackling inequality and disadvantage for all groups, including women.

Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes

David Chaytor: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will make an assessment of the responsibilities of  (a) local authorities,  (b) police authorities and  (c) primary care trusts for (i) the protection of and (ii) provision of advice to female victims of domestic violence by male asylum-seeking partners or former partners; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The authorities referred to are all subject to the gender equality duty and must have due regard for this when developing their services. The duty requires all public authorities when carrying out their functions to have due regard for the need to:
	eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, and
	promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
	In regard to the (i) protection of and (ii) provision of advice to female victims of domestic violence by male asylum-seeking partners or former partners, the authorities have the following responsibilities:
	 Local Authorities:
	The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.
	A range of support for victims of domestic violence is available. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but sanctuary schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others. Some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.
	In 2007-08 local authorities spent £64.5 million of their funding allocated through the supporting people programme on housing related support services for women at risk of domestic violence.
	 Police Authorities:
	Police authorities have two main functions: (i) to secure an efficient and effective police force and (ii) to hold the police to account on behalf of the public.
	Police authorities have three further functions: (i) to monitor the force's compliance with human rights; (ii) to co-operate with other forces and authorities; and (iii) to promote equality and diversity within the force.
	 Primary Care Trusts:
	The updated domestic abuse handbook and cd-rom "Responding to Domestic Abuse: a handbook for health professionals", which was published in December 2005, provides advice and guidance on how the health service can respond to all women who are victims of domestic abuse.
	The advice and protection available to victims of domestic violence is dependent on their individual circumstances and needs. It is not contingent on the immigration status of their partner or former partner.

Recruitment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recruitment equality data her Office holds on each government department for each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	Recruitment equality data are not held centrally. Individual employing departments are responsible for collecting equality recruitment data.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: International Assistance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's most recent White Paper, page 34, what the structure of the new proposed multidonor facility across Africa will be; where will it be hosted; and how much funding over what period his Department plans to provide the facility.

Michael Foster: The aim of the new multi-donor facility is to build the capacity of micro-finance institutions to deliver sustainable microfinance services across Africa. We are currently running consultations on the project and once these are complete we will be able to give further details.

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Douglas Alexander: No member of the Department for International Development's staff has been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Overseas Aid: Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account his Department takes of animal welfare issues in its determination of aid funding.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) only examines animal welfare issues when aid funding is related to research involving animals or livestock production. In these cases DFID works with partners that have high animal welfare standards.
	DFID keeps abreast of animal welfare issues through links with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). DFID supports the UK and European Union's backing of a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) as an important means of raising awareness of animal welfare.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations the Government has made to the Sri Lankan government on allowing  (a) the UN and  (b) other relief organisations full access to camps for internally displaced peoples in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: At ministerial and official levels, the Department for International Development (DFID) continues to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to allow United Nations and other humanitarian agencies to have full and unrestricted access to internally displaced people.
	The Prime Minister raised humanitarian access with President Rajapakse on the 18 May. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the issue with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister when they met on 5 June, as did Lord Malloch-Brown with the Sri Lankan Minister for Trade and External Development when they met on 19 June. Our high commissioner to Sri Lanka regularly raises our concerns with senior members of the Sri Lankan Government.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what reports he has received on conditions in the internal displacement camps in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: There are almost 284,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) held in camps in Vavuniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee and Mannar. The humanitarian situation is now moving from an emergency response to a stabilisation phase. Conditions in the camps remain basic but are improving as the priority needs of shelter, food, water, medicine and immediate access to surgical treatment are gradually met. The remaining areas of concern include high levels of malnutrition, overcrowding, inadequate water and sanitation facilities and lack of freedom of movement. Restrictions put on protection activities such as reuniting unaccompanied children with their families and the registration of the population as a whole are particularly concerning.
	The UK Government urge the Government of Sri Lanka to facilitate the return of the IDPs as soon as possible and to allow humanitarian agencies to operate effectively on the ground.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members' Interests

Tony Baldry: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to page 28 of the Government's Draft Legislative Programme, what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the cost of registering the full details of any second jobs held by hon. Members including pay and hours.

Nick Harvey: The requirement to register details of the outside employment of hon. Members came into effect on 1 July 2009 at the same time as the requirement to register additional information about donations. The additional staff costs associated with recording the information about outside employment is provisionally estimated at one-third of a band C officer, costing about £10,000 in the current financial year. It is too soon to quantify the other costs involved.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2009,  Official Report, column 463W, on carbon emissions: standards, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses to his Department's consultation on the term carbon neutral.

Joan Ruddock: Yes, I will place consultation responses in the Library, excluding the one received in confidence.

Carbon Trust: Energy Saving Trust

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the performance against objectives of  (a) the Carbon Trust and  (b) the Energy Saving Trust.

Joan Ruddock: DECC provides grant funding to the Energy Saving Trust to promote carbon abatement in the household sector, and to the Carbon Trust to support its work in accelerating the move to a low carbon economy by working with businesses and public sector organisations.
	DECC has a range of measures in place to ensure the effective assessment of the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust against these objectives. Both Trusts provide annual estimates of the carbon savings implemented by their customers as a result of their DECC-funded activities, and have processes in place to ensure a high level of assurance of the carbon savings they have delivered. In addition, the Trusts provide reports to the Department against the performance metrics set out in their business plans for each financial quarter.
	The Carbon Trust was also the subject of a National Audit Office value for money review in 2007-08.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will initiate a review of the salary structure of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary against relevant public sector comparators; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: I am assuming your question relates to the salary structure for the civil nuclear constabulary (CNC) police officers, not staff.
	CNC police officers pay and terms and conditions are linked to relevant Home Office police terms and conditions, and remuneration determined by the established link with the outcome of negotiations for the police negotiating body structure for Home Office Forces. The original principles determining the basic pay of members of CNC (up to and including superintendent ranks) is that it is linked to the pay of corresponding members of the MOD police (MDP), which in turn is linked to that of Home Office police taking account of the 95 per cent. weighting (i.e. MDP and CNC pay is set at 95 per cent. of Home Office police force pay). Any decision to review these arrangements would fall within the responsibilities of the civil nuclear police authority.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of his Department's estate.

Joan Ruddock: The Permanent Secretary's responsibilities at the Department include the energy efficiency of the estate.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what changes have been made to his Department's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Joan Ruddock: No changes have been made.

Departmental Public Consultation

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consultations his Department has carried out since its establishment.

Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has carried out the following consultations since its establishment:
	 Consultations still open:
	Consultation on Transposition of EU directive (2009/29/EC) revising EU directive (2003/87/EC) and relating to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data and National Implementation Measures;
	A framework for the development of clean coal;
	Proposals for A Future Exemptions Regime under The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 and The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010;
	Consultation on draft guidance on how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions;
	Consultation on the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP);
	Consultation on Smart Metering for Electricity and Gas;
	Environmental Permitting Programme-Consultation on Government Guidance;
	Guidance on Carbon Capture Readiness and Applications under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989: a consultation;
	 Consultations that have been closed:
	Consultation on the Form and Content of New Climate Change Agreements;
	Consultation on the Draft Order to Implement the Carbon Reduction Commitment;
	Consultation on the term 'carbon neutral': its definition and recommendations for good practice;
	Consultation on Transposition of EU directive (EC/2008/101) to include Aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS);
	Heat and Energy Saving Strategy (HES) Consultation, Heat and Energy Saving Consultation Roadshows, Big Energy Shift;
	Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP);
	Government response to Offshore Electricity Transmission: a further joint Ofgem/DECC Regulatory Policy Update-final consultation document;
	Consultation on the Proposed Offshore Gas Storage and Gas Unloading Licensing Scheme;
	Consultation on The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study;
	Consultation on UK Offshore Energy SEA Environmental Report;
	Consultation on proposed amendments to the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target 2008 to 2011;
	Consultation on the Nuclear Industry Association's Application to Justify New Nuclear power stations;
	Carbon units, the net carbon account and carbon accounting;
	Consultation on offshore electricity transmission: a further joint Ofgem/DECC regulatory policy update;
	Towards Carbon Capture and Storage;
	The UK Renewable Energy Strategy.

Energy Saving Trust: Finance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department and the bodies for which it is responsible has allocated to the Energy Saving Trust for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11,  (c) 2011-12 and  (d) 2012-13.

Joan Ruddock: DECC has allocated £38.5 million to the Energy Saving Trust for 2009-10, for the valuable work it undertakes to encourage and promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy.
	DECC has also allocated £1 million to fund the Energy Saving Trust's three technological field trials.
	The funding allocation for future years has not yet been confirmed.

Energy Saving Trust: Finance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding was provided by his Department to the Energy Saving Trust in each of the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 923W.

Energy: Conservation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) loft insulations,  (b) cavity wall insulations,  (c) solid wall insulations and  (d) other energy saving insulation measures have been funded directly by the Energy Saving Trust in each of the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: It has not been the Energy Saving Trust's role to fund such measures directly and the Trust has therefore not directly funded any insulation measures in the last five years.
	The Trust has concentrated on raising consumers' awareness of the effectiveness of such measures and then converting that awareness into action, by sign-posting and guiding consumers to appropriate grant and offer schemes via the Government funded Act on CO2 helpline.

Energy: Prices

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to require energy companies to equalise their prepayment tariffs with those charged to quarterly customers; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Government believe that differences in charges relating to the method of payment should reflect the costs of servicing that method, and should not discriminate unfairly against any group of customers. Therefore, we strongly support the regulator Ofgem's work putting in place rules to prevent unfair price discrimination related to payment method, such as PPMs.
	We are keenly aware of the impact of energy costs on all groups of consumers. We do not consider that energy suppliers should be obliged to compel standard credit customers to share the higher costs of servicing pre-payment meters, which would be the consequence of equalisation.

Fuel Poverty

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in  (a) Ashford,  (b) Kent and  (c) the UK which were in fuel poverty in the last year for which figures are available.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2003, and shows that there were around 2,500 fuel poor households in the Ashford constituency and around 39,200 fuel poor households in Kent.
	More recent figures are available for the UK. These show that in 2006, there were around 3.5 million fuel poor households in the United Kingdom.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the amount of UK greenhouse gas emission reductions against a 1990 baseline attributable to  (a) the transition of electricity generation from coal to gas,  (b) the sourcing of services and goods as between domestic and overseas production,  (c) the use of carbon credits sourced outwith the UK,  (d) the direct result of Government climate change policies and  (e) other identified causes.

Joan Ruddock: Our present estimate is that, in round terms, of the emissions reductions in 2006 below the increase that would otherwise have occurred since 1990, structural changes in the economy linked to changing patterns of imports and exports were responsible for about 30 per cent. Improvements in energy efficiency accounted for about 20 per cent., lower carbon fuels about 25 per cent. (made up of 15 per cent. from the so-called dash for gas and about 10 per cent. from renewables and other lower carbon fuels). Lower emissions of greenhouse gases other than CO2 were responsible for some 25 per cent. The direct effect of Government policies overlaps with the estimates given above and is likely to have accounted for about 15 per cent. The effect of emissions trading in 2006 is not included in these estimates but if included would in 2006 have increased the emissions reduction by about 10 per cent.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many grants have been awarded through the Low Carbon Buildings programme in respect of  (a) schools,  (b) hospitals and  (c) other public buildings in (i) the East of England and (ii) Castle Point constituency in each year since the programme's inception.

David Kidney: The following number of grants have been offered through the Low Carbon Buildings programme in respect of  (a) schools,  (b) hospitals and  (c) other public buildings in (i) the East of England and (ii) Castle Point constituency in each year since the programme's inception.
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 
			  Grants offered 
			Month grant offer letter sent  
			  Type of organisation  Data  November 2006  January 2007  February 2007  March 2007  October 2007  January 2008  Total 
			 Schools Number of grants 1 1 - 2 - - 4 
			  Sum of grant offered (£) 747.5 5,276.5 - 23,859.65 - - 29,883.65 
			  
			 Other Number of grants 1 2 4 2 1 2 12 
			  Sum of grant offered (£) 14,662.40 120,056.79 49,309.39 26,579.45 270,803 18,060.60 499,471.63 
		
	
	No applications received for Castle Point, therefore no grants offered.
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 
			  East of England 
			   Schools  Hospitals  Other public buildings  Total 
			   Grant value (£)  Number of projects  Grant value (£)  Number of projects  Grant value (£)  Number of projects  Grant value (£)  Number of projects 
			 2007-08 218,800 16   112,697 6 331,497 22 
			 2008-09 539,853 36 141,809 1 260,032 5 941,694 42 
			 2009-10 173,644 8 12,160 1 67,762 1 253,565 10 
			 Total 932,296 60 153,969 2 440,490 12 1,526,755 74 
		
	
	No grants were paid for Castlepoint.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 12 February 2009, on energy companies.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 1 June 2009
	 I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding. A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 8 July 2009.

Sizewell A Power Station

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what review of  (a) inspection,  (b) maintenance and  (c) security procedures at UK nuclear installations there has been following the discovery of a coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 June 2007.

Joan Ruddock: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 January 2007 as we are not aware of a coolant leak there on 7 June 2007.
	The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the event and took appropriate enforcement action to ensure compliance with stringent safety standards. The enforcement action required the licensee to carry out a review of safety to identify and implement safety improvements arising from the event. This was done and NII is content that appropriate safety measures are now in place.
	As a result of the event at Sizewell A, licensees with comparable plant have carried out a review of their arrangements. Where the reviews identified areas for improvement the licensees have implemented modifications to address these.
	The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) is the security regulator for the UK's civil nuclear industry. It is responsible for approving security arrangements within the industry and enforcing compliance; specifying the standards that have to be met. Security at licensed civil nuclear sites is kept under regular review.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Abortion

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations in Northern Ireland asking in favour of a review of the legislation on abortion as it affects Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has received a number of representations from interested parties on all sides of the debate on the abortion law in Northern Ireland. The Government's position remains that the best forum for discussion of these matters is the Northern Ireland Assembly when it assumes responsibility for the criminal law. While the precise timing of the devolution of policing and justice is a matter for the Assembly, an agreed process is underway that will lead to the transfer of policing and justice powers, including responsibility for the criminal law relating to abortion.

Abortion

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last had discussions with representatives of the political parties in Northern Ireland on the abortion law in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has had no recent discussions with representatives from the political parties in Northern Ireland on this issue. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the leaders of the four main parties in May 2008, confirming that Government had no plans to change the law relating to abortion, and restating the Government's view that the best forum for the discussion of these matters is the Northern Ireland Assembly when it assumes responsibility for the criminal law.

Billy Wright Inquiry

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Billy Wright inquiry has cost to date.

Paul Goggins: The cost of the Billy Wright inquiry to the end of May 2009 is £25.7 million.

Departmental Buildings

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much in  (a) rent,  (b) service charges and  (c) business rates has been paid in respect of each of the premises occupied by his Department in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows how much the Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, and excluding its agencies and NDPBs has spent in rent, service charges and business rates in each financial year since 2005.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Expenditure area  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Rent including ground rent 4,227,592 4,387,489 4,722,820 5,650,704 
			 Service charge 316,924 340,664 236,408 234,172 
			 Rates 1,548,430 1,735,904 1,396,296 1,816,003

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office uses Internet Explorer 7. However, in a number of areas some large corporate applications are at this stage still only supported for delivery using Internet Explorer 6, so there are no plans for a complete update before 2010.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on salaries and pensions for Ministers in his Department since 2005.

Paul Goggins: Ministers' salaries and pensions are set out in the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975. Details of salary and pension contributions for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office for the years 2005 to 2008 may be found in Northern Ireland Office Resource Accounts and can be accessed by using the following link:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/niopublication/niopubssearch results.htm?category=&keyword=resource+accounts&order=date

Departmental Pay

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the staffing costs of his Department were in  (a) April 2008 and  (b) April 2009.

Paul Goggins: The staffing costs for the Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, and excluding its agencies and NDPBs in  (a) April 2008 and  (b) April 2009 were:
	
		
			  April  £ 
			 2008 4,166,022 
			 2009 4,309,005

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code.
	Civil servants may shadow MPs as part of a programme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. In the last five years seven civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office have taken part in the programme, two in 2004-05, one in 2005-06, three in 2006-07, one in 2007-08 and one in 2008-09.

Fines: Defaulters

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of all prison receptions in Northern Ireland have been of fine defaulters in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The following table gives the number and percentage of prison receptions in Northern Ireland for fine default as compared with all prison receptions. Data cover the calendar years 2006 to 2008.
	
		
			  Percentage of all prison receptions for fine default in Northern Ireland 2006-08 
			   Fine defaulter receptions  Total receptions  Percentage of fine defaulter 
			 2006 1,951 6,472 30.1 
			 2007 1,724 6,061 28.4 
			 2008 1,742 6,185 28.2

Offensive Weapons

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been for crimes involving an offensive weapon in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested as it is not possible to separately identify the number of prosecutions and convictions for certain offences, for example murder, in which an offensive weapon was involved. It is only possible to provide prosecution and conviction statistics, documented in the following table, for those offences which, in their definition, relate to offensive weapons. These include: possession of offensive weapons; possession of articles with blades, points or other instruments with intent on committing an offence; and firearm offences.
	Data cover the calendar years 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available) and are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Number of prosecutions and convictions for offensive weapon offences 2002-06 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2002 268 217 
			 2003 322 250 
			 2004 288 236 
			 2005 332 260 
			 2006 395 298

Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases the Prisoner Ombudsman in Northern Ireland has investigated in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Prisoner Ombudsman's Office, which operates independently of Government. I would encourage the hon. Member to write directly to the Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, Mrs. Pauline McCabe.

Robert Hamill Inquiry

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Robert Hamill inquiry has cost to date.

Paul Goggins: The cost of the Robert Hamill inquiry to the end of May 2009 is £26.8 million.

Rosemary Nelson Inquiry

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Rosemary Nelson inquiry has cost to date.

Paul Goggins: The cost of the Rosemary Nelson inquiry to the end of May 2009 is £41.1 million.

Security Guards: Licensing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licence applications to the Security Industry Authority have been made in Northern Ireland to date.

Paul Goggins: To the end of June 2009, 1,864 licence applications had been received by the Security Industry Authority.

Special Purchase Evacuated Dwellings Scheme

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) serving and  (b) former security officers have been moved under the Scheme for the Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The issue of certificates under the Scheme for the Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Gentleman, and will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Young Offenders

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people aged between 10 and 17 years and resident in Northern Ireland were convicted of an offence in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table gives the number of 10 to 17-year-olds resident in Northern Ireland who were convicted of an offence.
	Data cover the calendar years 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available) and are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  10 to 17-year-olds resident in Northern Ireland who were convicted of an offence 2002-06 
			   Number 
			 2002 1,647 
			 2003 1,557 
			 2004 1,576 
			 2005 1,436 
			 2006 1,263

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Asbestos: Documents

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2009,  Official Report, column 553W, on asbestos: documents, 
	(1)  how many asbestos health-related files have been retained since 1984;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of electronic files have been retained since 1984 after the seven year review held in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive's document retention policy;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of paper files have been retained since 1984 after the nine year review held in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive's document retention policy.

Vernon Coaker: Under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 only HSE are required to collect documents. Therefore my Department does not do so.
	The Department retains a number of files and other documents relating to asbestos in schools. Our asbestos related paper files are classified as long-term storage and are reviewed after 10 years.
	DCSF electronic files related to asbestos are reviewed every five years. Other less important documents are held in temporary storage and will need to be reviewed if they are to be retained.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of nursery settings which are charging top-up fees  (a) on the free entitlement hours and  (b) outside the free entitlement hours in order to subsidise the provision of the free entitlement.

Dawn Primarolo: The code of practice on delivery of the free early education entitlement is clear that the free entitlement should be free at the point of delivery and that charging of top-up fees for free entitlement hours is unacceptable. Where there is evidence that providers are charging top-up fees, we expect local authorities to ensure that parents are able to access a completely free place.
	Providers are free to agree with parents charges for additional services outside the free entitlement hours-that is a private matter between the parent and the provider.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many nurseries have closed in each year from 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The latest available information on the number of nurseries opening and closing is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of full day care settings that have opened and closed, as at 31 March each year, England 2006-08 
			   Opened  Closed 
			 2006 2,300 1,300 
			 2007 2,200 1,500 
			 2008 2,100 1,700 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.  Source: Ofsted. 
		
	
	Ofsted data on closures include registered places in settings which are transferring ownership, and in settings which move from one Ofsted category to another, not just in those which are ceasing trading. For example, if a full daycare provider moved to offering sessional provision, this would be recorded as a 'closed' full daycare setting and an 'opened' sessional daycare setting. The Ofsted data therefore exaggerate the true extent of turnover.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make interim arrangements to assist nurseries experiencing short-term financial difficulties before the implementation of the single local funding formula in April 2010.

Dawn Primarolo: Local authorities have a range of tools they can use to support nurseries and other early years providers to ensure their sustainability. For the funding period 2008-11, the Department has allocated £378 million of revenue funding and £642 million of capital funding to local authorities to support the sufficiency of and access to child care, part of the Sure Start early years and child care grant.
	All local authorities will implement a single local funding formula from April 2010 to address any inconsistencies in funding that may exist and to ensure that the funding for all providers is based on the same principles.

Extra-curricular Activities: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was allocated for the provision of extra-curricular activities in schools in  (a) the North East,  (b) Tees Valley and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to every school providing access to a core offer of extended services, including a varied menu of extra curricular activities from 8 am to 6 pm, by 2010. To support this, the DCSF has provided significant funding to support the delivery of extended services, including committing over £1 billion in the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. The table sets out the extended services funding allocated from 2003-04, the start of the Full Service Extended School pilot, to 2010-11 for every local authority in the Government office North East region, including local authorities in the Tees Valley and Middlesbrough local authority.
	This funding is passed to local authorities to support the development of the core extended services offer in every school. The exact amount of funding spent on extra curricular activities as part of supporting delivery of the broader extended services core offer is a matter for local decision making by local authorities and schools.
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Darlington - 162,000 93,000 524,659 620,343 915,129 2,060,131 2,975,260 
			 Durham - 162,000 417,000 1,674,463 2,239,225 2,559,819 6,473,507 9,033,326 
			 Gateshead 162,000 93,000 93,000 702,247 888,295 1,346,925 2,937,467 4,284,392 
			 Hartlepool 162,000 93,000 93,000 462,891 569,451 622,961 1,655,303 2,278,264 
			 Middlesbrough 162,000 93,000 93,000 590,771 756,402 854,348 2,201,521 3,055,870 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 162,000 93,000 93,000 868,780 1,173,788 1,313,969 3,356,537 4,670,506 
			 North Tyneside 162,000 93,000 93,000 693,010 847,350 918,908 2,459,268 3,378,175 
			 Northumberland 0 162,000 255,000 1,084,773 1,456,415 1,857,295 4,398,483 6,255,778 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 162,000 93,000 93,000 601,252 773,435 1,230,137 2,604,824 3,834,960 
			 South Tyneside 162,000 93,000 93,000 603,531 775,162 862,224 2,240,917 3,103,141 
			 Sunderland 162,000 93,000 93,000 993,968 1,250,885 1,390,028 3,634,881 5,024,910 
			  Note:  Funding in 2003-04 to 2005-06 was for the Full Service Extended Schools Pilot. Funding in 2010-11 does not include the LA allocations for the extended services subsidy funding, which have not been announced.

Foster Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were registered as being privately-fostered in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: As at 31 March 2008, the latest date for which figures are available, 1,330 children were reported as being cared for and accommodated in private fostering arrangements in England.
	This number was published in "Private Fostering Arrangements in England: Year Ending 31 March 2008" on 31 July 2008 and can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000803/index.shtml

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools which received an Ofsted rating of  (a) satisfactory and  (b) inadequate for behaviour had less than 30 per cent. of pupils gain five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C in each year since 2005.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 3 July 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	Table A below shows the number of secondary schools with satisfactory or inadequate behaviour at the most recent Ofsted inspection (as at 3 April 2009), which had less than 30 per cent of pupils gain five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C in each year since 2005, where GCSE attainment data are available.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of secondary schools (including middle deemed secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies) with satisfactory and inadequate behaviour as at 3 April 2009, which had less than 30 per cent. of pupils gain five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C in each year since 2005 
			  Behaviour at last inspection  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Satisfactory 
			 Number of schools (for which GCSE attainment data are available) 716 721 733 725 
			 Number of schools with less than 30 per cent. of pupils gaining five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C 373 342 316 246 
			  
			  Inadequate 
			 Number of schools (for which GCSE attainment data are available) 29 29 31 30 
			 Number of schools with less than 30 per cent. of pupils gaining five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C 16 17 16 16 
		
	
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Pre School Education: Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the levels of  (a) bullying and  (b) intimidation by other children of Jewish children attending nursery schools since December 2008; what steps he is taking to protect Jewish children from such actions; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Schools, including mainstream nursery schools, have a duty in law to promote race equality and it is compulsory for them to have measures in place to prevent and tackle bullying, whatever the motivation. In March 2006 we published specialist guidance on bullying around race, religion and culture which focused on preventing and tackling racist bullying in schools and included material on bullying related to anti-Semitism.
	We intend also next year to introduce a new statutory duty on schools to record all incidents of bullying between pupils. We will consult on this in the autumn and also on whether schools should be obliged to report these incidents to their local authority.

Schools Grant

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on excess balances maintained by local authorities out of money received via the dedicated schools grant; what information his Department collects on such balances; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Department believes that it is sound financial management for schools to retain a small surplus from year to year-but the total of balances for 2007-08, which came to £1.9 billion, was too high.
	The Department collects figures of the balances and deficits held by schools via the Section 52 Outturn statements, which are completed by all local authorities in England. In February 2009, we published the figures for balances and deficits held by schools for the financial year 2007-08. The information for 2008-09 is due to be submitted to the Department by 25 August 2009.
	The Department expects schools and local authorities to work to reduce the total and we encourage local authorities to make full use of their power to claw back excessive balances and redistribute it to where it is needed in their area. If balances do not reduce substantially, the Department will consult on further action from 2011-12 to bring the total down.

Schools: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what timetable he has set for meeting hon. Members representing constituencies in Essex to discuss school closures.

Diana Johnson: As discussed during Prime Minister's Questions on 24 June 2009,  Official Report, column 793W and following on from the Whitsun Recess Questions, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has given a commitment to meet hon. Members representing constituencies in Essex to discuss school closures. Correspondence has recently been received from the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) requesting this meeting. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is in the process of responding to this with view to arranging a meeting after the summer recess.

Young People: Housing

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on liaison between housing officers and social services following a request from a 17-year-old girl for accommodation; and what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the provision of mediation and counselling services to the families of such girls when that family includes a 15-year-old sister prior to the arrangement of independent accommodation.

Dawn Primarolo: In order to ensure that children and young people who are at risk of homelessness receive the support they need it is important that the various statutory services in place to protect them are joined up. In the circumstances described we would expect children's and Housing services to follow the joint DCLG and DCSF guidance Joint working between Housing and Children's Services - Preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people.
	This says that Children's Services and Housing Services should establish arrangements in their areas for ensuring that a Common Assessment Framework assessment is considered for all children and young people who come to the attention of authorities as homeless or at risk of homelessness. Such an assessment would include looking at a range of issues, including their family and home circumstances.
	If the young person was not at risk of harm at home, services should look at what can be done to support the young person and their family to enable the young person to continue living at home. This could include the provision of mediation and counselling services where it was felt this would meet a specific need.

Young People: Oxfordshire

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Draft Legislative Programme 2009, Cm 7654, page 20, who in Oxfordshire will be responsible for delivering the commitment that every young person should give at least 50 hours of service to their community in their teenage years.

Iain Wright: We intend to build on existing good practice by implementing the £146 million package of measures announced by the Prime Minister on April 24 this year when he set out our ambition that, in time, all young people should contribute at least 50 hours to their local community by the age of 19.
	The package includes £7 million to run a set of intensive pilots to test ways of delivering significant increases in the proportions of young people within a given area participating in community service. These pilots will involve over 14,000 14 to 16-year-olds in the next two years and will provide valuable lessons to help schools provide more service opportunities for their pupils through partnerships that will increase the supply of high quality community service opportunities, and also the interest of young people in serving their communities.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Databases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information databases his Department  (a) maintains and  (b) uses which do not contain personal information.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department outsources management of all Databases. The databases it uses which do not contain personal information are:
	Argus (Government Art Collection Database)
	Asset Tracking
	Cabinet Committee Correspondence
	Calendar of Events
	Calendar of IT Works Database
	Central Information and Briefing Wiki
	Directors blog
	Livelink (Electronic Records management Repository)
	Nakisa (Internal Telephone Directory)
	Parliamentary Questions
	Sharepoint Portal Sites
	TABS Room Booking
	User Account Report Form

Departmental Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) attempts and  (b) successful attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (i) database and (ii) ICT system run by his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No successful attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (i) database and (ii) ICT system run by my Department in each of the last five years. The information on the total number of unsuccessful attempts could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department will have completed the move to Internet Explorer 7 by the end of August. We are also looking at our longer term web browser strategy.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what changes have been made to his Department's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department's policies regarding the purchase of office equipment and stationery have not changed in the last six months. Our policy is to buy sustainable and environmentally friendly products using collaborative agreements which have been established though organisations such as OGC Buying Solutions.

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have had no employees posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in the last five years.

Digital Broadcasting: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of homes which have access to digital television in  (a) the Vale of York and  (b) North Yorkshire.

Si�n Simon: Presently, 83 per cent. of households in Yorkshire can receive digital television via an aerial. After switchover, 99 per cent. will be able to watch around 17 TV channels and 97 per cent. will be able to watch additional channels, all via an aerial. We do not have individual figures for the Vale of York and North Yorkshire.

Digital Switchover

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of appliances to be made redundant by  (a) digital television switchover,  (b) the roll-out of universal broadband access and  (c) digital radio switchover.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The answers to the question are as follows:
	 (a) Digital switchover itself does not require any equipment to be thrown away. Virtually any analogue TV can be converted to digital with the addition of a set-top box. We recognise that some consumers may use digital switchover as an opportunity to upgrade their TV and/or to dispose of analogue TV equipment (TVs and recorders). Research undertaken for DEFRA and DTI in 2006 indicated that switchover was not expected to cause any significant overall increase in TV or recorder disposals. For example, it predicted a 1 per cent. increase in recorder disposals. There is no current evidence to show additional disposal of equipment that can be attributed to digital switchover.
	 (b) No estimate has been made on equipment that may be redundant on the roll-out of Universal Broadband Access. Whether or not equipment would be made obsolete will depend on the technologies used to provide the universal service. This will be determined by the procurement process, and the subsequent bids from providers.
	 (c) Ofcom's research in September 2008 showed that about 45.9 million analogue-only radio devices were in use in the UK at least once a week. In addition their research showed that there were about 22.5 million cars with an analogue-only radio. There are no plans to close all services which these radios can receive. However to enable these radios to continue to receive a full range of services, in Digital Britain: Final Report we urge manufacturers to look closely at the market opportunities for DAB to 'FM re-broadcasters', a set-top box solution for analogue radio, as a means of allowing existing analogue radios to receive DAB in the future.
	The Digital Britain Report may be found at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx

English Heritage: Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what remuneration the Chair of English Heritage will receive in 2010-11; what employer pension contributions will be paid on the chair's behalf; and what the maximum potential bonus payment is.

Ben Bradshaw: Baroness Andrews will commence her duties as Chair of English Heritage on 27 July 2009 for a period of four years. Her salary is £45,000 per annum for a commitment of 90 days per annum and it is non-pensionable. In addition, she may claim for travel and subsistence. Bonuses are not paid.

National Football Centre

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports he has received on the proposed date of completion of the National Football Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The National Football Centre, including timescale for completion, is a matter for the Football Association. I have asked the Football Association to write to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Joan Walley) directly.

Radio Frequencies

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which representatives of the programme making and special events industry were consulted by the independent Spectrum Broker during his review of the sale of the radio spectrum; by what methodology such representatives were selected; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government appointed the Independent Spectrum Broker in February 2009 to take forward the spectrum modernisation plans that had been set out in the Interim Digital Britain Report. The Independent Spectrum Broker was asked by the Government to address how the existing challenges to future auctions and liberalisation might be resolved, whether historic spectrum allocations might be placed on a more even footing, how better incentives for investment and development of services might be encouraged and a fair return for the tax payer from any new arrangements achieved. His report was published on 13 May 2009.
	To my knowledge the Independent Spectrum Broker has not had any specific meetings with any representatives from the programme making and special events (PMSE) sector, but he is now in the next phase of his work and would be happy to meet with the PMSE community.

Radio: North West

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of analogue radios in use in the North West.

Si�n Simon: My Department has made no estimation of the number of analogue radios in the north-west. However, research conducted by Ofcom in 2008, showed that about 45.9 million analogue radio devices were in use in the UK at least once a week. In addition their research showed that there were about 22.5 million cars with an analogue radio.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Child Support Agency spent on consultants in each year since 2006-07.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, how much the Child Support Agency spent on consultants in each year since 2006-07.
	The Child Support Agency spend on consultants was £5.2 million in 2006/07, £3.2 million in 2007/08 and £2.8 million in 2008/09.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her most recent estimate is of the proportion of parents with care with a child maintenance entitlement who are  (a) not receiving maintenance payments and  (b) receiving less that their full maintenance entitlement.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 12 May 2009
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of parents with care with a child maintenance entitlement who are (a) not receiving maintenance payments and (b) receiving less that their full maintenance entitlement.
	In the twelve months to the end of March 2009, the Commission estimates that 78% of cases due maintenance received payment. The table below sets out the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's estimate of the proportion of cases who received all the maintenance due (fully compliant cases) and those cases who did not receive any of the maintenance due (non-compliant cases) in the twelve months to the end of March 2009.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Cases fully compliant 44 
			 Cases receiving 70-99 per cent. 16 
			 Cases receiving less than 70 per cent. 18 
			 Cases not compliant 22 
		
	
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) mean and  (b) median amount of arrears owed by non-resident parents to the Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission was in each month since 1993.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 9 June 2009
	 The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) mean and (b) median amount of arrears owed by non-resident parents to the Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission was in each month since 1993.
	The information requested is provided in the attached tables. Outstanding maintenance arrears are not owed to the Child Support Agency or to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission but are owed by non-resident parents either to the parent with care or to the Secretary of State.
	Table 1 shows the level of outstanding maintenance arrears owed by non-resident parents to parents with care. Table 2 shows the total amount of arrears owed to both the parent with care and to the Secretary of State.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Table 1: Cases with maintenance arrears owed to the parent with care (PWC) 
			   Cases  Total arrears (£ billion)  Mean amount owed to PWC (£)  Median amount owed to PWC  (£) 
			 March 2007 636,500 1.721 2,700 600 
			 April 2007 643,400 1.731 2,700 600 
			 May 2007 650,900 1.744 2,700 600 
			 June 2007 656,600 1.751 2,700 600 
			 July 2007 659,600 1.760 2,700 600 
			 August 2007 666,900 1.767 2,700 600 
			 September 2007 670,600 1.778 2,700 600 
			 October 2007 676,200 1.786 2,600 600 
			 November 2007 682,300 1.792 2,600 600 
			 December 2007 686,800 1.805 2,600 600 
			 January 2008 688,400 1.810 2,600 600 
			 February 2008 687,600 1.804 2,600 600 
			 March 2008 697,100 1.822 2,600 600 
			 April 2008 702,500 1.827 2,600 600 
			 May 2008 706,900 1.835 2,600 500 
			 June 2008 711,800 1.842 2,600 500 
			 July 2008 717,700 1.848 2,600 500 
			 August 2008 718,700 1.854 2,600 500 
			 September 2008 718,800 1.863 2,600 500 
			 October 2008 827,400 1.868 2,300 400 
			 November 2008 852,100 1.885 2,200 300 
			 December 2008 863,000 1.906 2,200 400 
			 January 2009 858,600 1.918 2,200 400 
			 February 2009 858,700 1.926 2,200 400 
			 March 2009 861,400 1.932 2,200 400 
			  Notes: 1. Data are only available from March 2007 onwards. 2. Information provided only includes cases where arrears are owed to the parent with care. This excludes arrears owed to the Secretary of State as well as some cases where the parent with care owes money. 3. Case figures are rounded to nearest 100, total arrears are rounded to the nearest million, and the mean and median amounts owed are rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Cases with maintenance arrears owed to the parent with care and Secretary of State 
			   Cases  Total arrears (£ billion)  Mean amount owed (£)  Median amount owed (£) 
			 March 2007 979,100 3.687 3,800 800 
			 April 2007 989,300 3.698 3,700 800 
			 May 2007 999,900 3.711 3,700 800 
			 June 2007 1,011,300 3.728 3,700 800 
			 July 2007 1,019,800 3.737 3,700 800 
			 August 2007 1,026,600 3.748 3,700 800 
			 September 2007 1,036,300 3.757 3,600 700 
			 October 2007 1,042,600 3.771 3,600 700 
			 November 2007 1,049,400 3.781 3,600 700 
			 December 2007 1,056,500 3.787 3,600 700 
			 January 2008 1,063,100 3.804 3,600 700 
			 February 2008 1,065,900 3.809 3,600 700 
			 March 2008 1,060,300 3.779 3,600 700 
			 April 2008 1,078,000 3.823 3,500 700 
			 May 2008 1,084,400 3.828 3,500 700 
			 June 2008 1,089,700 3.839 3,500 700 
			 July 2008 1,096,100 3.845 3,500 700 
			 August 2008 1,102,100 3.851 3,500 700 
			 September 2008 1,099,000 3.852 3,500 700 
			 October 2008 1,092,100 3.865 3,500 700 
			 November 2008 1,092,600 3.840 3,500 700 
			 December 2008 1,093,000 3.870 3,500 700 
			 January 2009 1,098,400 3.882 3,500 700 
			 February 2009 1,092,700 3.882 3,600 700 
			 March 2009 1,091,100 3.878 3,600 700 
			  Notes: 1. Data are only available from March 2007 onwards. 2. Case figures are rounded to nearest 100, total arrears are rounded to the nearest million, and the mean and median amounts owed are rounded to the nearest 100.

Children: Maintenance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many  (a) compliant non-resident parents and  (b) non-compliant non-resident parents who were registered with the Child Support Agency on the latest date for which figures are available were paying maintenance at the (i) basic, (ii) reduced, (iii) flat and (iv) nil rate;
	(2)  what steps are taken to monitor the income and maintenance liability of non-resident parents in respect of whom the Child Support Agency has made nil maintenance calculations.

Helen Goodman: holding answers 12 and 22 June 2009
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	and;
	What steps are taken to monitor the income and maintenance liability of non-resident parents in respect of whom the Child Support Agency has made nil maintenance calculations.
	The terms, basic, reduced, and flat rate maintenance apply to current scheme cases only. The information you have requested for compliant non-resident parents in these categories is shown in the attached table. Compliance is defined as those non-resident parents in each quarter who have paid maintenance. Non-compliant non-resident parents are those from whom maintenance has been requested but who have not paid maintenance in the previous quarter. Therefore I have also included information on non-compliant cases assessed at the basic, reduced, flat rate maintenance for current scheme cases only in the attached table.
	It should be noted that the compliance measure has been replaced by the more useful maintenance outcomes measure, which includes both those cases where the non-resident parent pays maintenance direct to the parent with care and those cases with a maintenance assessment but which have yet to be asked for maintenance. This is a more accurate measure of the impact the Commission is having on improving the proportion of parents paying maintenance. I have therefore also set out the number of cases with a positive maintenance outcome under the categories you have requested in the attached Table 2.
	In addition to the information on basic, reduced and flat rate current scheme cases set out in the attached table, in the quarter to March 2009 there were 106,300 current scheme cases with a nil maintenance assessment.
	The Child Support Agency is required to recalculate the maintenance liability when either parent provides information indicating that relevant circumstances have changed. It does not contact clients who have not reported any change to review their current maintenance liability.
	Under the future statutory child maintenance scheme, the Commission will calculate maintenance liability based on a non-resident parent's gross income. This information will be provided by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and will be for the latest available tax year. Maintenance liability will also be reviewed annually with updated information received from HMRC, ensuring that in cases where neither parent has reported a change of circumstances any change in gross income will be notified to the Commission.
	As with the current scheme, either parent will be able to notify the Commission of a change of circumstances which affects gross income and therefore maintenance liability. Cases with a change of circumstances which would trigger a review of a nil maintenance calculation can be reassessed without waiting for confirmation of the gross income from HMRC. It is intended that this new statutory maintenance scheme will be introduced from 2011, with existing cases moving to the new scheme over a period of 3 years.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Table 1: Compliance 
			   Flat rate  Basic rate  Reduced rate 
			 Compliant 93,800 111,900 26,700 
			 Non-compliant 46,600 29,000 11,300 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Maintenance outcomes 
			   Flat rate  Basic rate  Reduced rate 
			 Cases receiving maintenance 111,700 192,500 46,200 
			 Cases not receiving maintenance 69,100 50,300 18,700 
			  Notes:  1. The compliance measure includes those cases where a payment has been requested in the quarter to March 2009.  2. Compliant cases have been classed as those cases which have paid maintenance in the quarter to March 2009, excluding maintenance direct cases.  3. Non-compliant cases have been classed as those cases which have a payment schedule in place and have not paid maintenance in the quarter to March 2009, excluding maintenance direct cases.  4. Under Maintenance Outcomes, cases receiving maintenance includes those cases with a positive maintenance assessment receiving maintenance, including maintenance direct cases.  5. Cases not receiving maintenance include cases with a maintenance assessment where the agency has not yet asked for payment.  6. All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.  7. All figures include current scheme cases only.

Children: Maintenance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 977-8W, on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: ICT, what the budget for the gross income statutory maintenance scheme is.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 15 June 2009
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008 Official Report columns 977-8W on the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: ICT what the budget for the gross income statutory maintenance scheme is.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has agreed funding and budgets only until March 2011, when the current spending review period ends. In the current spending review period the Commission has set aside £215m as investment in new services. These costs cover implementing the new legislation; developing, building and launching the future statutory maintenance scheme; recruiting and training the additional people needed during the transition period; setting up and managing the first residual arrears cases; and redesigning and restructuring the organisation and its processes. During this period of great change, long term costs and funding will be continually reviewed to ensure the greatest efficiency and effectiveness is achieved when providing the statutory maintenance scheme.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission takes of the circumstances of  (a) resident parents and their families and  (b) non-resident parents and their families in determining child maintenance.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what account the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission takes of the circumstances of (a) resident parents and their families and (b) non-resident parents and their families in determining child maintenance.
	Different rules apply to the calculation of child maintenance liabilities, dependant on whether the application for maintenance was effective before the 3rd of March 2003 (such cases are referred to as the old scheme) or received on or after this date (and referred to as the current scheme).
	In the old scheme, the income of both the parent with care and the non-resident parent is taken into account where the Child Support Agency calculates the amount of child maintenance that the non-resident parent should pay. The personal circumstances of both parents are recognised in the assessment process insofar that the Agency must take into account the amount each parent pays in housing costs, for example, and also in the inclusion of certain allowances where parents have to support dependant children.
	The process for the current scheme is more straightforward. The amount of maintenance that should be paid is based solely on the net weekly income of the non-resident parent, and the circumstances of the parent with care are not taken into account. However, if there are any children residing in the non-resident parent's household then the net weekly income on which the maintenance assessment is based will be reduced by a set percentage, prior to a maintenance calculation being completed. A further reduction may also apply if the non-resident parent is on a low income.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many formal complaints were received by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and its predecessor in each of the last five years; and how many such complaints were upheld.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the child maintenance commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many formal complaints were received by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and its predecessor agencies in each of the last five years; and how many such complaints were upheld.
	The number of complaints received is shown in the attached table. The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission took responsibility for the Child Support Agency on the 1st November 2008. Therefore, for 2008/2009, complaints received prior to 1st November will be directed to the Child Support Agency and complaints received post 1st November will be directed to the Commission.
	It is not possible to provide information on the number of complaints that were upheld, as this information is not captured within the management information.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Complaints per financial year 
			  Financial year  Complaints 
			 2004-05 63,800 
			 2005-06 62,100 
			 2006-07 47,900 
			 2007-08 37,600 
			 2008-09 27,800 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures for 2008-09 include complaints received by the Child Support Agency prior to 1 November 2008, and the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission from the 1 November 2008. 3. These figures are published in the Child Support Agency's Annual Report and Accounts. 4. From April 2007, the Agency introduced a new complaints resolution process, which among others simplified the process from three stages to two stages.

Children: Maintenance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications in respect of child maintenance the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and its predecessor has made to the courts in each of the last five years.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications in respect of child maintenance the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and its predecessor has made to the courts in each of the last five years.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission are currently required to apply to the courts for a liability order to obtain legal recognition of the child maintenance arrears owed. Once a liability order has been granted the Commission can then refer the case for bailiff action, or prepare a further application to the court to secure; County Court Judgments, Third Party Debt Orders and Charging Orders. In addition, where there is a wilful refusal to pay child maintenance the Commission can apply to the court to consider the suspension of a driving licence or committal to prison.
	The total number of enforcement processes undertaken, including those applications listed above which were granted are regularly published in Table 21 of the March 2009 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics (QSS). The latest copy of which is available online at:
	www.childmaintenance.org/publications/statistics.html and in the House of Commons Library.
	In addition to the information provided in Table 21, an extract of which is attached below, the number of committal applications for 2008-09 was 2,940. Information is not available on the number of committal applications prior to 2008-09.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Child Support Agency-Total enforcement applications granted 
			   April 2004- March 2005  April 2005- March 2006  April 2006- March 2007  April 2007- March 2008  February 2007-January 2008  February 2008-January 2009 
			 Total applications granted 11,665 17,640 20,725 24,240 23,960 32,980 
			 Liability orders granted 7,760 11,245 13,510 17,755 17,235 25,090 
			 County Court Judgement orders 1,315 2,330 1,920 1,390 1,620 630 
			 3rd Party Debt orders 1,235 1,710 2,090 1,790 1,855 2,435 
			 Charging orders 845 1,335 1,850 1,735 1,780 2,490 
			 Suspended committal sentences 225 390 420 480 525 510 
			 Committal Sentences 5 15 40 25 35 30 
			 Suspended driving licence disqualification sentences 25 35 30 15 20 30 
			 Driving licence disqualification sentences 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			  Notes: The information contained in the table relates to applications granted-not applications made. Information on applications made is not available. 2. A liability order is a document obtained from the court showing that they legally recognise that the debt is owing. This is the same in both England and Wales and Scotland. This is required before the Agency can use litigation powers (Diligence in Scotland). 3. County Court Judgement orders apply only to England and Wales. Registers the person with a County Court Judgement Order, which remains on their credit record for six years. 4. Third Party Debt orders in England and Wales instruct a third party to pay any funds owed to, or held on behalf of, the non-resident parent to the Agency instead. In practice this is typically used for banks and building societies. 5. Charging orders in England and Wales are where a County Court Order for the legally recognised debt is attached to the equity in the non-resident parent's property. They are then unable to re-mortgage or sell the property without satisfying the debt. If they satisfy the debt by other means the charge is removed. 6. Note that the figures for the most recent months are provisional, and may be subject to retrospective revisions. 7. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when her Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Jim Knight: The Department is planning to upgrade its web browser from Internet Explorer 6 to a more recent version by the end of 2009. The final timetable for implementation will be decided once the newer browser has been tested and the Department is satisfied that it will support the Department's core systems.

Domestic Waste: Regulation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has issued to local authorities in relation to the collection of household waste; and whether it has plans to issue  (a) revised and  (b) further guidance.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) produces the following guidance documents relating to the collection of household waste, including recyclables.
	Good practice guidance documents produced jointly by HSE and the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum (except for Waste 15 which was produced solely by HSE):
	Waste 02: Green waste collection: Health issues;
	Waste 04: Waste and recycling vehicles in street collections;
	Waste 05: The safe use of refuse collection vehicle hoists and bins;
	Waste 15: Health Hazards in the waste and recycling industry;
	Waste 16: Glass kerbside collection: Noise reduction techniques;
	Waste 17: Managing 'task and finish' to reduce safety risks;
	Waste 19: Handling needles in the waste and recycling industry;
	Waste 21: Health and safety training: guidelines for the waste management and recycling sector;
	Waste 22: Handling offensive hygiene waste; and
	Waste 23: Safe waste and recycling collection services.
	Research reports made available by the HSE as part of a series of reports of work which has been supported by funds provided by the HSE:
	RR701: Update to mapping health and safety standards in the UK waste industry;
	RR651: Glass recycling; noise exposure from simulated roadside collection of recyclable glass-follow-up measurements;
	RR609: Collecting, transfer, treatment and processing household waste and recyclables-a tool to help organisations select the most appropriate system (in terms of health and safety risk);
	RR240: Mapping health and safety standards in the UK waste industry; and
	RR130: Occupational and environmental exposure to bio-aerosols from composts and potential health effects-a critical review of published data.
	Health and Safety Laboratory Reports funded by the HSE:
	HSL/2007/21: Glass recycling: noise exposure from simulated roadside collection of recyclable glass;
	HSL/2006/25: Manual handling in kerbside collection and sorting of recyclables; and
	HSL/2002/21: Manual handling in refuse collection.
	Guidance can also be accessed free of charge from the waste management and recycling pages on the HSE website.
	HSE has no immediate plans to revise its existing guidance.
	HSE is currently preparing new guidance for local authorities on the management of health and safety in waste collection service contracts and delivery. This will apply irrespective of whether the work is carried out by contractors or a local authority direct labour force. The planned publication date is spring 2010.

Employment and Support Allowance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how far in advance of expecting to become eligible for employment support allowance an individual may submit an application for it.

Jim Knight: An advance claim for employment and support allowance can be made if a claimant does not satisfy the conditions of entitlement on the date on which a claim is made but will satisfy them for a future period. The future period must begin on a day which is no more than three months after the date of claim. These provisions do not apply to income related employment and support allowance claimants from abroad (including claimants who are not habitually resident in the UK). If an advance award is made it is subject to the claimant satisfying the conditions for entitlement when the date from which benefit is to be awarded is reached.

Employment Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many employment subsidy vouchers have been  (a) issued and  (b) cashed by employers;
	(2)  how many employers have  (a) cashed an employment subsidy voucher as part of the six month offer to jobseeker's allowance claimants and  (b) used the six month offer employment subsidy in bulk as part of their work with Jobcentre Plus in local employment partnerships;
	(3)  how many people have taken up  (a) the golden hello including (i) the £1,000 recruitment subsidy and (ii) £1,500 worth of training,  (b) support for self-employment,  (c) one of the 40,000 additional volunteering opportunities and  (d) one of the 75,000 new training places under the six month offer.

Jim Knight: The recruitment subsidy and the six month offer were introduced on 6 April 2009. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid out under the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) to members of qualifying pension schemes; and how many and what proportion of such members have received payments from the FAS.

Angela Eagle: As of 19 June 2009 the FAS Operational Unit (FASOU) has assessed 666 schemes for payment and from these 12,126 people are now receiving payments. We have paid out more than £60,000,000.
	All members who have notified the FASOU and are eligible for the FAS are receiving payments. We have assessed a further 692 members who will be paid when they return their personal details and a further 3581 members who will be paid when they reach their normal retirement age.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints her Department has received about the Financial Assistance Scheme since December 2007.

Angela Eagle: Since December 2007, the financial assistance scheme operational unit has received eight customer complaints.

Health and Safety Executive: Communication Service Providers

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many requests for communications data were made by the Health and Safety Executive to communication service providers (CSPs) under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in  (a) 2000,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2002,  (d) 2003,  (e) 2004,  (f) 2005,  (g) 2006,  (h) 2007 and  (i) 2008; and how many of these requests resulted in the requested communications data being disclosed by the relevant CSP.

Jim Knight: Before 2004, HSE sought information from communication service providers (CSPs) through use of powers under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA). These were not recorded centrally.
	Since 2004, HSE has sought information through the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). HSE has made no requests for communications data from CSPs under HSWA, since 2004.
	The number of requests under RIPA are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of requests 
			   M ade by HSE to CSPs  R esulting in communi cations data being provided 
			 2004 47 34 
			 2005 36 31 
			 2006 29 12 
			 2007 14 8 
			 2008 14 12

Housing Benefit

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the publication of housing benefit localities; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs) are determined by rent officers according to legislation set out in the Rent Officers Order. Once a determination of new boundaries has been made following a review of a BRMA, rent officers must inform the local authority of the new boundaries not more than one month in advance of the BRMA taking effect. Local housing allowance rates for each BRMA will be published by the Valuation Office Agency on the LHA Direct website.

Jobcentre Plus

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which jobcentres have  (a) acquired new office space,  (b) extended existing office space and  (c) converted existing office space to meet the work demands of higher benefit caseloads in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking which jobcentres have (a) acquired new office space, (b) extended existing office space and (c) converted existing office space to meet the work demands of higher benefit caseloads in the last 12 months. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus Customer Service Directors were asked to review their existing service delivery arrangements in meeting the challenge of the current economic climate and taking into account the planned welfare reform changes for the next two to three years. This review took into account the latest known information on the expected increase in business and customer volumes.
	This exercise has identified that around 50 per cent. of Jobcentre Plus offices currently face capacity pressures. These pressures will be met through a range of solutions and we are unable to provide the data to fully respond to your questions (a, b and c) until all of these solutions have been implemented.
	In the light of the increased customer demand we have embarked on a programme to convert or extend our existing buildings where necessary. In addition we aim to make our services more accessible to customers by providing a range of support through outreach, often delivering advisory and other support on partners' premises. We are supplementing these measures by operating extended opening hours in some locations where the need for this is identified locally. This includes some offices opening to the public on Saturday. We will only acquire new space where all other measures are insufficient.
	To date estates work has been undertaken on 18 of our buildings to increase our capacity to serve the public and these works are now complete. Detailed estates planning is under way on a further 151 of our buildings. We are finalising our plans to meet the capacity challenge in the remainder of our offices.

Jobcentre Plus

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of working days lost of staff of Jobcentre Plus in  (a) each month since January 2008 and  (b) each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what estimate she has made of  (a) the number of working days lost for staff of Jobcentre Plus in each month since January 2008 and  (b) the average number of such working days lost in each year since 1997. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Average working days lost by month 
			   Number 
			 January 2008 10.2 
			 February 2008 10.1 
			 March 2008 10.1 
			 April 2008 10.1 
			 May 2008 10.0 
			 June 2008 10.0 
			 July 2008 10.0 
			 August 2008 9.8 
			 September 2008 9.7 
			 October 2008 9.6 
			 November 2008 9.7 
			 December 2008 9.7 
			 January 2009 9.5 
			 February 2009 9.4 
			 March 2009 9.3 
			 April 2009 9.1 
			 May 2009 9.0 
			 So urce: The monthly information provided has been drawn from the Ml Portal for the period January 2008 to October 2008 and from BOXI for the subsequent period from November 2008 to May 2009 (the latest information available). 
		
	
	
		
			  Average working days lost by year 
			   Number 
			 2003 12.0 
			 2004 9.8 
			 2005 10.3 
			 2006-07 11.1 
			 2007-08 10.1 
			 2008-09 9.3 
			  Sources:  2003 to 2006-07 - the Cabinet Office's annual report 'Analysis of sick absence in the Civil Service'; 2007-08 and 2008-09 - DWP's HR computer systems. 
		
	
	I am unable to provide annual information from 1997 as Jobcentre Plus was only formed in April 2002. The annual information provided for the first three years (2003 to 2005) relates to each calendar year reported in the Cabinet Office's Annual Report 'Analysis of sick absence in the Civil Service'. For 2006-07, the reporting period changed from calendar year to our operational year (April to March).

Jobcentre Plus: Access

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment her Department has made of levels of accessibility of Jobcentre Plus offices for elderly and disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 8 July 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what recent assessment her Department has made of levels of accessibility of Jobcentre Plus offices for elderly and disabled people. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus offices are designed to include accessibility measures for the elderly and disabled people in accordance with statutory requirements and Building Regulations. These measures are reviewed annually by the Department's external facilities provider, Telereal Trillium, as part of the annual building assessment which they are responsible for carrying out under the private finance initiative negotiated in 1998. The annual assessments may be carried out sooner if there is a major reconfiguration of a building, to check that our statutory and regulatory responsibilities are fully met.
	Our departmental policy on provision of services requires us to ensure that both offices and processes do not discriminate against any of our customers. If any of our customers do have any real difficulty with accessing services in an office, we are always able to offer other options to meet their needs, for example home visits or call back arrangements.

Jobcentre Plus: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Jobcentre Plus spent on consultants in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question asking how much Jobcentre Plus spent on consultants in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus spent £6m on consultancy costs in 2006/07 and £11m in 2007/08.
	 Source:
	Departmental Financial Systems

Jobcentre Plus: Disabled

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's policy is on the provision of accessible seating for elderly and disabled people in Jobcentre Plus offices.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what her Department's policy is on the provision of accessible seating for elderly and disabled people in Jobcentre Plus offices. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Disability Discrimination Act requires all providers of public services to ensure that services to customers can be accessed by all, whether that is in regard to the physical office environments or by other means. Our departmental policy on provision of services requires us to ensure that both offices and processes do not discriminate against any of our customers-this includes the range of seating components in use in our public offices.
	All our components are designed and risk assessed with the full business process in mind, for example taking account of waiting times at any particular stage and considering comfort alongside safety. There is also a range of chairs, which are available for our customers should any individual have a particular problem for example, waiting seating with high or low backs and a height adjustable chair can be offered if necessary. If any of our customers have any real difficulty with accessing services in an office, however, we are always able to offer other options to meet the need, for example home visits or call back arrangements.
	Disability access audits were also introduced during the rollout of Jobcentre Plus, to ensure that where physically possible, our offices provided suitable access for all groups, including customers with mobility and sensory impairments.

Jobcentre Plus: Drugs

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment her Department plans to make of the effectiveness of drug co-ordinators in Jobcentre Plus.

Jim Knight: Evaluation examining the effectiveness of drug co-ordinators will take place next year. It will examine key aspects of the drug co-ordinator role in order to identify best practice and areas for improvement, and explore ways in which co-ordinators engage in wider partnership working. The research will explore the perceptions and experiences of a range of stakeholders, including service users.

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed at Jobcentre branches in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many staff were employed at Jobcentre branches in each London borough in each of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The table enclosed shows the number of staff employed in Jobcentre Plus offices by London borough as at March 2008 and March 2009. Information is not available for previous years as our IT records cannot match our Jobcentre sites to local authority boroughs.
	The table uses full-time equivalent (FTE) staff figures rather than actual staff numbers, as a proportion of the staff involved are part-time. Substantial recruitment of staff is ongoing across London to enable Jobcentre Plus to maintain its services to its customers.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  London borough  March 2008  March 2009 
			 Barking and Dagenham 118 130 
			 Barnet 116 138 
			 Bexley 111 114 
			 Brent 186 197 
			 Bromley 108 107 
			 Camden 78 76 
			 Croydon 177 198 
			 Ealing 175 175 
			 Enfield 172 178 
			 Greenwich 167 175 
			 Hackney 227 240 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 134 177 
			 Haringey 161 167 
			 Harrow 160 138 
			 Havering 83 96 
			 Hillingdon 98 100 
			 Hounslow 98 89 
			 Islington 225 223 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 45 45 
			 Kingston upon Thames 45 73 
			 Lambeth 342 330 
			 Lewisham 174 200 
			 Merton 75 46 
			 Newham 231 235 
			 Redbridge 96 110 
			 Richmond upon Thames 35 32 
			 Southwark 205 189 
			 Sutton 48 60 
			 Tower Hamlets 173 170 
			 Waltham Forest 170 181 
			 Wandsworth 85 97 
			 Westminster 128 138 
			 Total 4,446 4,624 
			  Note: The table shows that in a small number of boroughs, staffing numbers reduced between March 2008 and March 2009. In Merton, where the biggest reduction took place, this was due to the closure of the Wimbledon office. In other cases, reductions were due to the retrenchment of clerical posts and staff and work will also have moved from one office to another, within the same Jobcentre Plus district but across borough boundaries.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Dataview.

Jobcentre Plus: Official Hospitality

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Jobcentre Plus has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how much Jobcentre Plus has spent on hospitality and entertainment in each of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	All expenditure on entertainment (also known within the Department as hospitality) is made in accordance with published Departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety. These are based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	The information requested is shown in the table below.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2003-04 (1)79 
			 2004-05 28 
			 2005-06 43 
			 2006-07 106 
			 2007-08 10 
			 (1) Denotes an estimate based on analysis of expenditure for 2003-04.  Source: DWP financial systems 
		
	
	The figures for 2008/09 are not yet available, but will be due for publication later this month.

Jobcentre Plus: Recruitment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies for front-line staff in Jobcentre Plus have been advertised since 1 January 2009; how many have been filled  (a) internally from within Jobcentre Plus,  (b) from another Government Department or agency and  (c) from elsewhere; and for each vacancy that has been filled, what the length of the contract was.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many vacancies for front-line staff in Jobcentre Plus have been advertised since 1 January 2009; how many have been filled internally from within Jobcentre Plus, from another Government Department or agency and from elsewhere; and for each vacancy that has been filled what the length of the contract was. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I can confirm that there were from 1 January 2009 to 29 May 2009 11,856 front-line vacancies advertised across the whole of Jobcentre Plus and that 7,146 posts were filled, broken down as follows:
	Internally from within Jobcentre Plus: 481
	From other government departments or agencies: 214
	From elsewhere: 6,451
	For each appointment made within this period, the appointment type and length of the contract is as follows:
	Permanent staff: 3,202
	Temporary and Fixed Term Appointments: 3,249

Jobseeker's Allowance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data her Department collects on the living costs of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged  (a) 25 years old or more and  (b) under 25 years old.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 June 2009
	My Department does not collect data on the living costs of jobseeker's allowance claimants.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Employment

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her policy is on jobseeker's allowance claimants accepting offers of short-term casual employment; what guidance her Department issues to Jobcentre Plus staff on the provision of advice to claimants on this matter; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 July 2009
	The Government recognise that work is the best way out of poverty and actively encourages customers to take up employment; this includes part-time and casual work.
	In order to incentivise the uptake of part-time and casual employment and to make it easier to move back on to benefit, Jobcentre Plus has introduced a rapid reclaim process. This means that where a customer returns to jobseeker's allowance within 26 weeks the claim process is shortened and the return to benefit is simpler and quicker.
	Customers can also undertake part-time or casual employment and remain on jobseeker's allowance provided that they work for less than 16 hours per week. For those who work over 16 hours in a job where they expect that work to continue for at least four weeks, working tax credit may be available.
	There is no specific guidance for Jobcentre Plus staff in respect of jobseeker's allowance benefit recipients wishing to do part-time or casual employment. However, advisers are fully aware of jobseeker's allowance regulations about part-time work and actively encourage those wishing to undertake part-time or casual work while still assisting them in finding full-time work.

Key Workers

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent estimate is of the number of key workers in  (a) Tamworth constituency,  (b) Staffordshire and  (c) the West Midlands.

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her most recent estimate is of the number of key workers in  (a) Merseyside and  (b) Crosby constituency.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the form requested as official employment statistics are collected using a standard occupational classification that does not directly match the categories commonly used to determine eligibility for existing local initiatives aimed at key workers.

Local Employment Partnerships

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009,  Official Report, column 123W, on local employment partnerships, what the outturn costs of ( a) each of the local award ceremonies and  (b) the grand final were.

Jim Knight: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 July 2009,  Official Report, column 843W.

National Insurance: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many national insurance  (a) cards and  (b) numbers were withdrawn for having been found to have been fraudulently obtained in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many applications for a national insurance card or number were rejected owing to fraudulent documents being used in support of such applications in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The adult National Insurance number allocation process administered by Jobcentre Plus includes stringent verification of identity and right to work checks, which are designed to ensure that National Insurance numbers cannot be fraudulently obtained.
	No National Insurance numbers or National Insurance number cards have been withdrawn in the last five years. However, in any case where there is suspicion that a National Insurance number is vulnerable to misuse, such as benefit fraud, the relevant National Insurance number record is annotated accordingly. Any subsequent claim using a National Insurance number would automatically be subjected to close scrutiny and, if appropriate, referred to the Departments Fraud Investigation Service.
	The number of National Insurance number accounts marked over the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of marked accounts 
			 2004-05 1,087 
			 2005-06 2,521 
			 2006-07 2,965 
			 2007-08 3,234 
			 2008-09 1,470 
			  Note: Each year runs from 1 April to 31 March. HMRC are responsible for the issue of National Insurance cards. Possession of a card does not provide proof of identity, right to work or proof of entitlement to benefits. National Insurance cards only serve as a reminder to the individual of their National Insurance number and nothing else. National Insurance cards are not withdrawn.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus. 
		
	
	The following table shows the latest available information for National Insurance numbers that have been rejected due to the use of fraudulent documents.
	
		
			   National insurance number applications rejected due to fraudulent documents being used in support of such applications 
			 2004-05 548 
			 2005-06 748 
			 2006-07 595 
			 2007-08 654 
			  Notes: 1. Each year runs from 1 April to 31 March. 2. Information is not available for 2008-09.  Source: Jobcentre Plus.

National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding her Department has provided to the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Although my Department works closely with the National Treatment Agency, we have not provided any funding in the last five years,

New Deal Schemes

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) maximum and  (b) average duration of the test trading scheme element of the New Deal was in England in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: The maximum duration of the test trading scheme element of the new deal in the last 12 months was 26 weeks. The average duration of the test trading scheme element of the new deal was 18 weeks.

New Deal Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what restrictions are in place on New Deal early entry; and in what areas they apply.

Jim Knight: There are no such restrictions in place. Where an adviser feels a customer is particularly disadvantaged in the labour market and unlikely to find work without more intensive support, they will offer voluntary early entry access to additional help delivered either through stage three of the new jobseekers' regime and flexible new deal process where introduced, or the existing new deal gateway. Either way, the customer receives intensive support from their own personal adviser and access to a wide range of employment and training related opportunities.

New Deal Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any existing New Deal providers in flexible New Deal 1 areas have  (a) reduced and  (b) withdrawn service provision since 29 May 2009.

Jim Knight: The transition arrangements agreed with the new deal providers to ensure provision is kept in place to 25 September 2009 are continuing. There has been no reduction of new deal provision since 29 May 2009. There have been no notified changes of services by new deal providers outside of the above agreements.
	No new deal providers in the flexible new deal phase 1 areas have withdrawn the services they provide since 29 May 2009.
	There are no new referrals to new deal provision from 29 June 2009 in phase 1 areas, but providers are continuing to provide a service to support those customers already on the provision. Customers who would have been referred to new deal will now be referred to stage 3 of the jobseeker's regime.

Pathways to Work

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people she expects to participate in Pathways to Work in each year from 2008 to 2015.

Jim Knight: Official statistics on the number of participants in Jobcentre Plus and provider-led pathways to work are available up to January 2009. The figures are to be found at annex A in the report Jobcentre Plus Pathways to Work Official Statistics, June 2009 and annex A in Provider-Led Pathways to Work Official Statistics, July 2009. These reports can be accessed at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/ib_ref_p2w.asp
	Copies of these two reports have been placed in the Library.
	With the exception of those placed in the support group, all new employment and support allowance customers are required to participate in pathways to work. Those in the support group can volunteer for back-to-work support through pathways to work, as can existing incapacity benefits customers.
	Forecasts for the numbers of people expected to reach the main phase of employment and support allowance are available for the years 2009-10 and 2010-11. These can be viewed in table C1: Numbers receiving benefits, 1991-92 to 2010-11 at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp
	A copy of the table has been placed in the Library.
	These will next be updated at the pre-Budget report. Figures beyond 2010-11 are not provided. Final spending plans for departmental expenditure limits will be set in relation to the final annually managed expenditure forecasts at the time of the next spending review.
	These forecasts do not take into account the measures announced in the December 2009 White Paper, Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future. From 2010, all existing incapacity benefits customers will receive personalised back-to-work support, based on the pathways to work model, when they are migrated from incapacity benefits to employment and support allowance.

Pension Credit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the cost to the public purse of raising the level of pension credit to ensure that no pensioner receives an income below the poverty line.

Angela Eagle: No single measure captures all aspects of poverty-as a result PSA 17 includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), after housing costs are taken into account. The low income threshold varies for each household to take into account variations in both the size and composition of a household. For example, the threshold for a single pensioner living alone is different to that of a single pensioner living with grown-up children. However, in both cases they would be entitled to the same amount of pension credit.
	The information requested in the question is not available. Furthermore, raising the value of guarantee credit for couples to the level of the 60 per cent. threshold would be insufficient to ensure that no pensioner remains below that threshold because of those pensioners who do not take up the benefits to which they are entitled.
	It is not possible to predict in advance the value of low income thresholds. Any projection of the median for the population as a whole would be subject to uncertainties around future income growth, changes in the income distribution and individual behavioural responses to policy changes.
	From 6 April 2009 the pension credit standard minimum guarantee increased by the largest amount since it was introduced in 2003. It increased to £130 a week for single pensioners or £198.45 for a couple. The Government are committed to tackling pensioner poverty and are continuing to promote take-up of benefits by those who are entitled.

Pension Credit: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in each parliamentary constituency in the Lancashire County Council area received  (a) pension credit and  (b) winter fuel payment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the tables.
	
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit in Lancashire by parliamentary constituency-November 2008 
			  Constituencies wholly or partially in Lancashire  Households in receipt 
			 Blackpool, North and Fleetwood* 6,660 
			 Burnley 5,120 
			 Chorley 4,270 
			 Fylde 4,380 
			 Hyndburn 4,600 
			 Lancaster and Wyre 4,250 
			 Morecambe and Lunesdale 5,240 
			 Pendle 4,800 
			 Preston 5,170 
			 Ribble Valley 3,040 
			 Rossendale and Darwen* 4,520 
			 South Ribble 3,730 
			 West Lancashire 4,890 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of winter fuel payment recipients 2007-08 (final run) 
			  Constituencies wholly or partially in Lancashire  Total winter fuel payment recipients 
			 Blackpool, North and Fleetwood* 25,800 
			 Burnley 17,380 
			 Chorley 21,600 
			 Fylde 25,970 
			 Hyndburn 17,510 
			 Lancaster and Wyre 24,980 
			 Morecambe and Lunesdale 22,660 
			 Pendle 17,590 
			 Preston 16,110 
			 Ribble Valley 23,740 
			 Rossendale and Darwen* 18,210 
			 South Ribble 21,840 
			 West Lancashire 20,950 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 4. The constituencies included are those wholly or partially in Lancashire as defined by the most up to date postcode directory. '*' denotes those constituencies not wholly in contained in Lancashire. (Makerfield parliamentary constituency was excluded as only one postcode which might have pension credit or winter fuel payments living within it was within Lancashire.)  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data

Pensioners

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the proportion of pensioners receiving less than 90 per cent. of the 1997 levels of expected and accrued pensions in Financial Assistance Scheme annuities; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 3 July 2009
	This information is not available in the form requested.

Pensioners: Poverty

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in  (a) Merseyside and  (b) Crosby were in relative poverty in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: Statistics on relative poverty, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in relative poverty at Government office region level, inner London and outer London. Therefore, information for Merseyside and the Crosby constituency is not available.
	Latest information for the North West Government office region, is based on three-year averages and provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, North West Government office region 
			  m illion 
			   Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income  Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.3 0.1 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.3 0.1 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 0.1 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 0.1 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.2 0.1 
			  Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given for regional statistics as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income series, which uses net disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. Incomes have been equivalised using OECD equivalisation factors. 6. Number of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand people.  Source: These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey.

Petrol: Planning Permission

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2009,  Official Report, column 1057W, on petrol: storage, which local authority granted planning permission against Health and Safety Executive advice.

Jonathan R Shaw: Pembrokeshire county council granted planning permission for the construction of an industrial unit at Waterston Industrial Estate, Milford Haven within the development proximity zone of a large-scale petrol storage site. The Health and Safety Executive had advised the local authority against the granting of permission for this development on safety grounds.

Right to Bid

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bids her Department has received from organisations as part of the Right to Bid initiative; and from which organisation, and in relation to which services or functions provided by her Department, they have been received.

Jim Knight: Right to Bid commenced on 1 January 2009 and to date (8 July 2009), 92 bids from 85 different organisations have been received. Of these, 42 are private sector organisations, 41 from the third sector, one from the public sector and one is a consortium of private, third, and public sector organisations. The bids remain 'commercial in confidence' and the detail cannot be divulged without the permission of the organisations. The majority of the bids received have been in the Welfare to Work arena. A small number have replicated Learning and Skills Council or Department for Business, Innovation and Skills services.

Right to Bid

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent officials in her Department are working on the Right to Bid team.

Jim Knight: The Right to Bid scheme is administered and managed by a team of three dedicated full time equivalent officials. The central team is supported by other officials from a number of expert domains throughout the Department as part of the detailed evaluation process.

Social Security Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's definition is of a gateway overstayer; and what targets her Department has set to reduce the number of such overstayers.

Jim Knight: A gateway overstayer is defined as someone who has gone beyond the maximum period (16 weeks) on a New Deal personal adviser caseload and has not started a mandatory Option/Intensive Activity Period. In July 2006, the Jobcentre Plus Chief Operating Officer made a commitment to ensure the number of overstayers was no more than 7 per cent. of the total number of participants within the gateway. The level of overstayers at the end of 2008-09 was 3.8 per cent. of caseload.

Specialist Disability Employment Programme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism her Department has put in place for the independent monitoring of prime providers in the delivery of the Specialist Disability Employment Programme.

Jonathan R Shaw: The quality of provision is subject to external scrutiny by Ofsted in England and Estyn in Wales. From January 2010 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education will begin to inspect our provision in Scotland.
	Once the Specialist Disability Employment Programme has been fully developed the three inspectorates will be commissioned to develop an inspection model to suit this piece of provision. Reports from these inspections will be in the public domain.
	This Department will work closely with the external inspectorates to produce an annual programme of inspection, ensuring all prime providers' contracts are inspected over the course of an inspection cycle.
	Providers who are found to be unsatisfactory at external inspection will be offered improvement support, through the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, leading up to re-inspection.

Specialist Disability Employment Programme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what criteria will apply in monitoring the effectiveness of the Specialist Disability Employment Programme in respect of each impairment type;
	(2)  what support her Department will make available to customers on the Specialist Disability Employment Programme following their completion of the first nine months of the programme.

Jonathan R Shaw: No final decisions have been made as to exactly what information will be collected for the new Specialist Disability Employment Programme. We are currently considering what level of detail it is desirable and practical to collect on customers' impairment types.
	In addition, independent evaluation will be an important element of the new programme. It will seek to investigate the extent to which the programme meets its objectives and critical success factors.
	The first element of the new programme is called Work Entry Support. Its aim is to offer a range of services and support to help disabled customers with the highest support needs enter paid employment, whether it be unsupported in the open market place or supported employment. With support from the provider, we expect that the majority of customers will be able to do this within nine months of starting on the programme. If they have not been successful in finding suitable employment at this point, then the provider will work with and agree with the customer a detailed action plan, which will offer advice on how they should move forward to help them either move into employment in the future or possibly return to the programme at a later date, which ever is most appropriate to their individual needs.

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people over the age of 100 receive a state pension.

Angela Eagle: At November 2008, there were 422,250 state pension recipients aged 90(1) and over.
	(1 )Figures given are for state pension recipients aged over 90, rather than for those aged over 100. This is because the available data on ages at the extreme higher end of the distribution is not thought to be sufficiently robust to provide accurate figures for more detailed breakdowns.
	 Note:
	 Definitions and conventions
	Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Third Sector

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what terms and conditions are set by her Department in relation to the provision of funding from her Department's budget to  (a) charities,  (b) voluntary organisations and  (c) social enterprises.

Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions works on a commercial, contractual basis with charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises where such an organisation is in a position to provide a specialist ongoing service which clearly assists in the delivery of the Department's core objectives. The Department uses its standard terms and conditions for goods or services. The Commercial Employment Provision (CEP) standard terms and schedules are used when dealing with welfare to work contracts.
	These terms and conditions are based on model terms and conditions recommended by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). They can be viewed online in the supplier section of the Department's website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk

Vacancies

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs have been advertised in each Jobcentre Plus district in each of the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 June 2009
	The information has been placed in the Library. The data are broken down by notified vacancies and live unfilled vacancies.

Vocational Training

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which colleges in each region offer training for jobseekers commissioned by Jobcentre Plus; and how many people claiming jobseeker's allowance have taken part in a training programme offered by a college in each of the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: The information is not centrally collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Welfare to Work

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 51W, on welfare-to-work: standards, if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent monthly report summarising the performance of all welfare-to-work providers against agreed targets.

Jim Knight: A copy of the most recent report, which includes the cumulative performance of contracted provision up to the end of March 2009, has been placed in the Library as requested. This is the end-of-year report for 2008-09.
	The DWP continues to develop plans to make this information available on a monthly basis from later in 2009 via the DWP website.

Winter Fuel Payments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people in receipt of winter fuel payment who were  (a) eligible for and  (b) receiving pension credit in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The requested information is not available.
	 (b) Winter fuel payments are made to pension credit claimants, not individual beneficiaries. Information on payments made to pension credit claimants is contained in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of people in receipt of winter fuel payments 
			 2003-04 1,630,000 
			 2004-05 2,430,000 
			 2005-06 2,530,000 
			 2006-07 2,550,000 
			 2007-08 2,560,000 
			  Note: Rounded to the nearest 10,000.  Source:  Winter Fuel Payment datasets, 2007-08 is the latest available data.

Winter Fuel Payments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the annual saving to the Exchequer if winter fuel payments were made only to those eligible for pension credit.

Angela Eagle: Estimates show that if winter fuel payments were only made to recipients of pension credit next financial year that the annually managed expenditure savings could be around £1.5 billion.
	 Note:
	The estimate assumes that all pension credit claimants receive a full winter fuel payment and that both partners are eligible for the same level of payment. Estimates are made on the basis of forecast recipients and not eligibility for pension credit.

Winter Fuel Payments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) households and  (b) individuals received the winter fuel payment in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The number of winter fuel payments paid to households and individuals in Great Britain are as follows:
	
		
			   Households  Individuals 
			 2007-08 8,834,610 12,068,740 
			 2006-07 8,630,900 11,702,900 
			 2005-06 8,506,750 11,514,760 
			 2004-05 8,377,365 11,401,170 
			 2003-04 8,166,345 11,468,235

Winter Fuel Payments

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will extend eligibility for the winter fuel allowance to young people with disabilities.

Helen Goodman: Winter fuel payments are paid to people aged 60 and over to help mitigate the effects of cold weather during the winter months. There are no plans to alter the eligibility criteria for winter fuel payments.

TREASURY

Child Tax Credit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to review entitlement to child tax credit to families with a gross income of over £80,000.

Stephen Timms: Tax credits are a carefully targeted system of financial support that provides the greatest help to the least well off families. Support is assessed on the basis of household circumstances, taking into account factors such as the number of children in the household and any disabilities, and only in very exceptional cases will families with very high incomes receive any support. No families with an income over £80,000 a year are currently receiving tax credits, and the majority of families in receipt have incomes below £20,000 a year.

Child Trust Fund: Yorkshire and The Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in  (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (b) York had received Child Trust Fund payments on the latest date for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The most recent constituency level statistics on child trust fund accounts were published on 6 November 2008 and can be viewed on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-oct08.pdf
	There were 261,000 children born before 6 April 2007 in Yorkshire and the Humber who have a child trust fund account.

Empty Property

Chris Mullin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the net revenue received in empty property rates in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: CLG publish the cost of reliefs, but Central Government do not collect data on the split between business rates paid on empty and occupied property.
	The data on the amount of empty property relief that local authorities estimated that they will grant is available in table 2 of the Statistics Release National non-domestic rates to be collected by local authorities in England 2009-10 and is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/local regional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/nondomesticrates/forecast/

Energy: Conservation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research has been carried out by his Department on the merits of installing A-rated circulator pumps in public sector buildings.

Ian Pearson: The Treasury has not carried out any research on this subject. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' market transformation programme undertakes research into the environmental impact of products. The Department for Communities and Local Government is currently consulting on introducing efficiency standards for circulator pumps under building regulations.

Non-Domestic Rates

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency form VO6403 used for the 2010 business rates revaluation.

Stephen Timms: This form is not specifically used for the 2010 business rates revaluation and has a limited application. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 19 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1216W, when form VO6403 was placed in the Library.
	A full list of forms used to request information from ratepayers for the revaluation is published on the Valuation Office Agency website at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/business_rates/List-of-Forms-Requesting -Information.htm

Premium Bonds

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the odds of winning a minimum prize with a £500 Premium Bond holding were in  (a) 1992,  (b) 1997,  (c) 2001,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: NSI publishes details of the current odds of winning prizes on premium bonds on their website at:
	http://www.nsandi.com/products/pb/rates.jsp
	In 1992, the odds(1) of winning a minimum prize with a £500 premium bond holding were 1 in 23.
	In 1997, in January and February, the odds were 1 in 44; in March, 1 in 45; in April, 1 in 46; in May 1 in 47; and between June and December, 1 in 39.
	In 2001 the odds were 1 in 41; in 2005 1 in 49; and in 2009 are 1 in 73.
	The interest rate and the value of eligible funds invested in premium bonds provides a total prize pool. NSI then look at two variables to determine the prize draw structure based (i) on the odds; and (ii) the number of prizes allocated to each value prize band.
	These variables are determined based on keeping the number and value of prizes at a favourable level for premium bond holders within the constraints of the interest rate and value invested.
	(1) Rounded to the nearest whole number.

Public Expenditure

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 1 July 2009,  Official Report, column 294, what the change in total spending will be between 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Liam Byrne: Budget 2009 set the Government's spending assumptions beyond the CSR period, from 2011-12 to 2013-14.
	Table C4 in Budget 2009 (page 226) shows projected public sector current expenditure and public sector net investment from 2011-12 to 2013-14.

Public Sector Debt

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to hold public consultations on proposed changes to his Department's policy on levels of public debt.

Liam Byrne: The Government publish their economic and fiscal forecast, including their forecast of the public sector net debt, twice a year in the pre-Budget report and the Budget.

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable has been set for the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office in Chorley.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1398W. The position has not changed.

Tax Incentives: Energy

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax incentives there are for the installation of energy-efficient circulator pumps in  (a) domestic and  (b) non-domestic properties.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Two energy-efficient circulator models are supported through the Government's flagship household energy efficiency policy, the carbon emissions reduction target.
	Energy efficiency measures for households are also supported by a reduced rate of VAT for the professional installation of certain energy saving products, including hot water system controls and central heating system controls. Where circulator pumps fall within this description they will be eligible for the reduced rate.

Taxation: Business

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in tax liability was set off against company borrowing in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2006-07,  (d) 2007-08 and  (e) 2008-09.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available.

JUSTICE

Ashwell Prison

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North West Leicestershire of 5 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 68-69W, on HM Prison Ashwell, if he will place in the Library a copy of the representations from the Prison Officers' Association on the recent disturbances at HM Prison Ashwell.

Jack Straw: With the permission of the national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association I have placed in the Library a copy of the letter referred to in the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor) of 5 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 68-69W.
	Of the two issues referred to in the letter, the extension to the deadline for the investigation was agreed to and the meeting took place on 6 May.

Approved Premises: Convictions

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many residents in approved premises were  (a) charged and  (b) convicted of (i) murder, (ii) manslaughter, (iii) rape, (iv) attempted murder and (v) attempted rape in the last year for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The number of residents in approved premises who were  (a) charged in 2007-08 and  (b) subsequently convicted of the offences specified are in the following tables. The tables are based on the most recent published statistics, the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007, in October 2008.
	There are 101 approved premises in England and Wales, providing 2,200 bed spaces. Approved premises are used primarily to supervise high risk of harm offenders on release from custody, where supervision can be provided more effectively than if such offenders were dispersed into less suitable accommodation elsewhere in the community. In 2007-08, 14,607 offenders or bailees spent some time in an approved premises.
	
		
			  Approved premises residents 'charged' with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, rape and attempted rape, 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 
			  Serious violent offence description  England and Wales notifications 
			 Attempt to commit murder or a conspiracy to commit murder 1 
			 Manslaughter 1 
			 Murder 3 
			 Rape 4 
			 Total 9 
		
	
	
		
			  Approved premises residents ' convicted'  of  murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, rape and attempted rape, 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 
			  Serious violent offence description  England and Wales notifications 
			 Attempt to commit murder or a conspiracy to commit murder 1 
			 Manslaughter 1 
			 Murder 3 
			 Attempt to commit rape 1 
			 Rape 2 
			 Total 8

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applicants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme have died while awaiting  (a) a decision,  (b) the outcome of a review and  (c) the outcome of an appeal against a decision in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, currently does not record this information. However, work is ongoing in the authority in relation to the recording of cases where the applicant dies while the application is live, and which will enable the recording of these cases in the future.
	CICA has made significant improvements in the average time it takes to reach decisions on cases: from an average of 14 months in 2006-07 for first decisions to an average of 9.3 months in the current financial year to end of June 2009. The average time taken to conclude a review of a case has almost halved in the same period, from an average of 11.2 months in 2006-07 to 5.9 months in the current financial year to end of June 2009. These improvements of themselves should reduce the number of cases where the applicant dies before a decision is made.

Dead Bodies: Identification

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bodies of persons who died in the last 10 years in England and Wales remain unidentified.

Bridget Prentice: Where a deceased person cannot be identified the body must be disposed of by the local authority in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, either by burial or cremation. Central records of such disposals are not kept.

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Michael Wills: The Department has commenced the upgrade of Internet Explorer from version 6 to version 7. Internet Explorer 6 is still supported by Microsoft, and the upgrade to version 7 is planned to be completed prior to Microsoft ceasing to support Internet Explorer 6.
	With respect to individual business areas, the upgrade from version 6 to version 7 has commenced in the HQ areas of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). This will be completed by the end of October 2009. Approximately 1,800 PCs within the Legal Services Commission (LSC) will be upgraded by the end of March 2010, bringing all their computers up to version 7. Plans to upgrade Her Majesty's Courts Service are currently being considered. Meanwhile, staff will continue to use the Microsoft supported Internet Explorer version 6.
	Within the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), version 6 of Internet Explorer is being deployed to staff within the probation service on the OMNI network as part of their contractual agreement with their IT supplier. They are considering the upgrade path to Internet Explorer 7, as part of the wider strategy of convergence of the infrastructure.
	For staff within Her Majesty's Prison Service, an exercise is under way to upgrade from version 6 to version 7 as part of the Quantum Infrastructure Improvement Programme. This exercise is currently in the planning stage and work is under way to validate this plan which currently anticipates the main deployment of version 7 taking place between mid-2010 and 2011. Tactical upgrades may occur as required.
	NOMS staff that use the NOMSnet service (primarily regional offender managers) are already operating at version 7.

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code. There are no records of any civil servant from the Ministry of Justice being posted to the political offices of Members of Parliament.
	Civil servants may shadow MPs as part of a programme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. However details on numbers of civil servants from this department that have had such an attachment cannot be obtained as this information is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost in trying to obtain.

Information Commissioner's Office

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to enable the Information Commissioner's office to reduce the length of time taken for the determination of complaints.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice and the Information Commissioner regularly review the resources required for the commissioner to discharge all of his freedom of information responsibilities. For this financial year, the Government have identified additional funding of £500,000 for the Information Commissioner's office's freedom of information work, over and above the baseline funding of £5 million. We are discussing with the office how it can use this additional funding most effectively to reduce the number of outstanding cases.
	In addition, the MOJ promoted a scheme last year where secondees from central Government Departments work for the ICO to help clear the freedom of information cases at their home departments' expense. There are currently seven secondees working at the ICO.

Parole

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions on which the Parole Board recommended parole it has not been granted in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The number of prisoners' cases where a recommendation for early release from the Parole Board was turned down for the years 2004-09 is given in the table. All the cases were those of prisoners serving fixed-term sentences of 15 years or more and subject to the release provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. The figures are derived from internal records. We do not have reliable data for previous years.
	
		
			   Number of prisoners 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 3 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 3 
			 2008 0 
			 2009 (as of 8 July 2009) 1

Prisons: Construction

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 82-83W, on prisons: construction, whether Scarisbrick is under consideration as a possible site for construction of any type of prison.

Jack Straw: Following my announcement on 27 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 569-80, about our plans to build 1,500 place prisons, a fresh site search to identify potential sites for these new prisons will begin in due course.

Sentencing: Foreigners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many foreign nationals have been discharged from a mandatory life sentence in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals have been discharged from a discretionary life sentence in each of the last 10 years.

Jack Straw: The number of foreign national prisoners serving a mandatory and discretionary life sentence and who were subsequently released from custody was not, before April 2007, recorded centrally. To answer the question would require a manual exercise checking every release of a mandatory and discretionary lifer during the period in question and this would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, since April 2007 the Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD) has recorded the nationality of prisoners being released. In 2007, there were three foreign national prisoners serving a mandatory life sentence and who were released from custody. There were no discretionary life sentence prisoners, identified as foreign nationals, who were released in 2007. As with any large scale recording system, it is subject to possible errors arising from either data entry or processing.
	Details of prisoners released are published Offender Management Caseload Statistics published by Offender Management and Sentencing Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice. This bulletin is available in the Library of the House and is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics
	The 2008 figures will be published in Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2008 at the end of July 2009. The publication of this bulletin has been pre-announced on the Ministry of Justice and United Kingdom Statistics Authority websites.
	To provide the 2008 figures for foreign national prisoners released would constitute providing a breakdown of an as yet unpublished figure. This would breach the code of practice for statistics and so cannot be provided until after this publication.
	It is for the independent Parole Board to determine whether to direct the release of life sentence prisoners and will do so only if it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for the prisoner to be detained in custody.

Victims Advisory Panel: Meetings

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions the Victims' Advisory Panel has met since July 2006; and what matters were discussed at each such meeting.

Jack Straw: The Victims Advisory Panel (VAP) have met on nine occasions since July 2006. They last met on 11 June 2009 and are next due to meet on the 14 July 2009. VAP meetings usually include presentations on emerging policy relevant to improving support to victims and subsequent discussion by panel members.
	Matters the VAP have discussed and given their view on are numerous. They include: the appointment of the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses, the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, the payment of court ordered compensation, the provision of special measures, research into victims experience, the complaints system for victims, support for victims of domestic violence, support for young victims of crime, support for victims at coroners courts and support for victims in civil cases.

TRANSPORT

A1

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will take steps to ensure the installation of separated junctions at the main intersections and roundabouts on the A1 between Alconbury and the A1(M) north of Baldock.

Chris Mole: The A1 trunk road in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire is identified as a road of regional importance. As such, the priority to be given for separated junctions at the main intersections and roundabouts on the A1 south of Peterborough to the beginning of the A1(M) north of Baldock is initially for the East of England region to consider.
	In March 2009 the region submitted advice to Government on public spending priorities for transport, housing and regeneration, economic development and skills as part of the refresh of the Regional Funding Advice (known as RFA2). This includes transport priorities in the region through to 2018-19. The Government expect to respond to the region's advice later this year. However, the region did not include these junctions in their submitted priorities.

Aviation: Insecticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent action the Aviation Health Working Group has taken in respect of the use of insecticides on commercial aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Aviation Health Working Group is a stakeholder forum reporting to Ministers; it is not an executive body. The use of insecticide is required under the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on flights to or from certain destinations to control the spread of insects and to protect public health from insect borne diseases.
	Rules established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) permit the use of certain insecticides, which have the approval of and are recommended by the WHO, based on their efficacy and minimal human toxicity. These rules are binding on International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) contracting states, including the UK.

Aviation: Insecticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many complaints have been reported to the Aviation Health Working Group from passengers regarding the use of insecticides on commercial aircraft in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: None. The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) has received three complaints in the last four years.
	The Civil Aviation Authority's Aviation Health Unit has, during the period from 1 July 2008 to 9 July 2009, received four enquiries regarding the use of insecticides on commercial aircraft. Two of these were complaints and both concerned non-UK airlines.

Aviation: Insecticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what insecticides are approved for use by cabin crew on commercial aircraft.

Paul Clark: The following table gives a list of the insecticides currently approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for aircraft disinsection in Great Britain:
	
		
			  Product name  HSE number 
			 Aircraft aerosol insect control 5408 
			 Aircraft disinsectant 6254 
			 Aircraft disinsectant multi 7016 
			 Aircraft disinsecting spray 8380 
			 Aircraft insecticide 7021 
			 Aircraft insecticide multi 7025 
			 Callington 1-shot aircraft insecticide 8882 
			 Callington aerosafe (d-Phenothrin) aircraft insecticide 8323 
			 Callington aerosafe aircraft insecticide 7431 
			 Callington top of descent aircraft insecticide 7430 
			 Disinsecting spray multi 7024 
			 Disinsecting spray single 6977 
			 Extermisect (1)6976 
			 Extermisect multi (1)7027 
			 Multi-shot permethrin spray 7119 
			 Non-flammable aircraft insecticide 222/A-203D/P-238/D 7502 
			 One-shot aircraft aerosol insect control 5407 
			 Orvec aircraft insecticide 7028 
			 Polygard one-shot aircraft disinsectant 7298 
			 Single-shot permethrin spray 7118 
			 Ventaire sure-serve aircraft insecticide 8789 
			 Ventaire sure-serve aircraft insecticide 8904 
			 (1) Two of the products listed, Extermisect (HSE 6976) and Extermisect multi (HSE 7027), have been withdrawn from the market for commercial reasons-but can still be supplied, stored and used until 16 July 2009.

Aviation: Insecticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what countries of  (a) origin and  (b) destination of flights to or from the UK the use of insecticides by cabin crew is mandatory.

Paul Clark: The International Health Regulations (2005) published by the World Health Organization (WHO) require states to ensure that measures are taken to prevent the spread of disease on aircraft. In the UK the regulations were implemented by the Public Health (Aircraft) (Amendment) Regulations 2007. They are enforced at UK airports by the local port health authority.
	Port health authorities in UK require that aircraft entering the UK from countries listed in chapter 7 of the WHO guidance (see links) in relation to the control of malaria should be sprayed.
	http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1995/WHO_PCS_95.51_Rev.pdf
	http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2005/9241580364_chap7.pdf
	A copy of the list of countries given in the WHO guidance has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Benefex

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, column 10W, on departmental conditions of employment, by what method the contract won by Benefex Limited was let by his Department.

Chris Mole: The contract was evaluated and awarded to Benefex Ltd. in accordance with the European Union procurement directives. The competition was published in the  Official Journal of the European Union.

Bicycles: Safety

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which local authorities have received funding from his Department for the provision of Bikeability training; and what award was made in each case.

Sadiq Khan: We have awarded cycle training grants to local authorities since 2006-07 to encourage cycling to school. Since 2008-09 we have been able to meet all bids in full. The grants awarded each year to local authorities are set out in the table which has been placed in the Libraries of the House. We also provide funding for training direct in schools via grants to the school sports partnerships.

Bicycles: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department has allocated to encourage bicycle usage in  (a) Tamworth and  (b) Staffordshire in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: Between 2005 and March 2008 Sustrans (the Sustainable Transport Charity) has on the Department for Transport's behalf made available grants for local authorities to deliver a Links to Schools programme to encourage more children to cycle to school. £80,000.00 was made available to Staffordshire county council in 2006-07.
	We have also awarded cycle training grants to local authorities since 2006-07 to encourage cycling to school. The grants awarded each year to Staffordshire county council are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Local authority cycle training grants, Staffordshire county council 
			   Grant (£) 
			 2006-07 - 
			 2007-08 68,000.00 
			 2008-09 156,000.00 
			 2009-10 249,000.00 
			 Total 2007-08 to 2009-10 473,000.00

Departmental Contracts

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport in what circumstances staff contracts have been varied in his Department to include the requirement for a total reward statement; and what methods were used to vary those contracts.

Chris Mole: Issuing total reward statements does not give rise to any variation in terms and conditions of employment.

Departmental Contracts

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what cost codes have been set up by his Department's Shared Service Centre in relation to the flexible benefit project; and what costs have been recorded against each cost code and on what dates.

Chris Mole: The system has not yet been implemented. The Shared Service Centre has therefore not set up any cost codes in relation to the flexible benefit project.

Departmental Contracts

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons his Department's design authority has sanctioned an emergency delivery of flexible benefits via the Emergency Path to Production process; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: There are a number of minor application changes required to the Shared Services system in order to integrate the flexible benefits scheme into payroll, which is planned for roll-out in October 2009.

Departmental Databases

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information databases his Department  (a) maintains and  (b) uses which do not contain personal information.

Chris Mole: A list of information databases maintained and used by the Department for Transport and its agencies is not yet centrally held and could be compiled to answer this question only at disproportionate cost. The information will be published on the Department's website in due course.

Departmental Pay

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1388W, on departmental pay, if he will list the employers concerned, including contracts  (a) which have been sub-let and  (b) which are not exclusive to London; what the nature is of the work undertaken with regard to each contract; how many staff are employed under the terms of each contract, broken down by (i) grade and (ii) location; and what (A) the length of the contract is and (B) union recognition agreements are in place in each case.

Chris Mole: The number of contracted staff employed in London earning less than the London living wage of £7.45 is now 63. The employer of the staff concerned is Amey who have been contracted to provide a total facilities management service for the three London Department for Transport HQ buildings. The staff involved work in the kitchen (nine), mailroom (three) and cleaning services (51). The contract is for five and a half years and is currently exclusive to London. Amey have union recognition agreements in place.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of his Department's capital underspend in 2009-10; and how much of that sum he proposes to return to the Exchequer.

Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 9 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 921-22W.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid graduate internships his Department has awarded in each of the last six months.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has awarded one paid internship to a graduate in the last six months.

Driving Tests

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance has been issued to driving test examiners on the carrying of driving instructors as rear seat passengers during the car driving test.

Paul Clark: Guidance currently issued by the Driving Standards Agency to driving examiners is as follows.
	A candidate may, if they so wish, and provided the examiner is satisfied there is sufficient room in the vehicle, be accompanied by their instructor or a friend. Any person(s) accompanying the candidate must be at least 16 years of age. The examiner should, however, make it clear that the third party must not in any way interfere with, or comment on, the test.
	Examiners must ensure that any rear seat passenger wears a seat belt; if a rear seat passenger refuses to do so the test will be not be conducted.

Driving: Dyslexia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the accessibility of the driving theory test for people with dyslexia.

Paul Clark: The Driving Standards Agency works with disabled people's organisations, including those representing people with dyslexia, to ensure all candidates can take the driving theory test without discrimination or disadvantage. Screen layout, background colour, type size and colour have been taken into account.
	Candidates with dyslexia can request an English voiceover and touch screen facility or an assistant who will read out the questions and record the candidate's answers. Candidates can also request additional time to complete the test.

Driving: Licensing

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many applications for driving licences from residents of  (a) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency,  (b) Teesside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England using forged or stolen identity documents have been detected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The following table provides the number of applications for driving licences, which were supported by what appeared suspect documents to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, since April 2005. These figures were not recorded before April 2005. This Department does not investigate identity fraud. Instead cases are referred to the police who would have the final confirmed figures.
	
		
			   April 2005 to  March 2006  April 2006 to  March 2007  April 2007 to  March 2008  April 2008 to  March 2009  April 2009 to  June 2009 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Teesside 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North East 6 13 9 4 0 
			 England 948 1,264 1,484 1,259 200

East Coast Railway Line

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether the terms of the East Coast mainline franchise allow for any financial obligations of National Express East Coast Ltd. to be borne by their parent company National Express Ltd.

Chris Mole: holding answer 7 July 2009
	Under the National Express East Coast franchise agreement, National Express Group is obliged to meet its parent company loan obligation of a £40 million loan facility. It is also open to National Express Group, at their discretion, to make available support in excess of this.

East Coast Railway Line

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the estimated cost to the public purse is arising from the termination of the East Coast mainline franchise for the period between the date of transfer of the East Coast mainline franchise to the public sector and the expected date by which the franchise will be relet, net of operating profits received by the new public sector company.

Chris Mole: holding answer 7 July 2009
	The cost to the public purse while the East Coast Mainline franchise is run by the public sector company will depend upon a number of factors, including ticket revenue during that period. The costs of transferring the franchise to the public sector company and re-letting the franchise will be met from within the £31.4 million performance bond that National Express is contractually committed to.

East Coast Railway Line

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether the funding required for the return to public ownership of the East Coast mainline franchise will come from existing rail budgets.

Chris Mole: The costs of transferring the franchise to the public sector company and re-letting the franchise will be met from within the £31.4 million performance bond that National Express is contractually committed to.

East Coast Railway Line

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what surplus of income over expenditure on operating costs he expects the East Coast Main Line franchise to achieve in the period that it is in public sector management; to whom the surplus will be paid; and what plans he has for the allocation of such funds.

Chris Mole: Any surplus of income over expenditure on operating costs during the period that the east coast main line franchise is in public sector management will be used to meet expected premium payments to the Department for Transport. Any surplus beyond this will also be received by the Department. Any surplus will depend on future ticket revenue which is not yet known.

East Coast Railway Line

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what surplus of income over expenditure on operating costs of the East Coast Main Line was in each of the last 10 years that the service was managed by British Rail;
	(2)  how many  (a) passengers were carried and  (b) kilometres were travelled by trains on the East Coast Main Line in each of the last 25 years.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. More general information on rail usage is contained in National Rail Trends, published by the Office of Rail Regulation at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk

First Great Western: Rolling Stock

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to make a decision on First Great Western's bid for 44 new rail vehicles.

Chris Mole: We are in discussion with First Great Western regarding the provision of additional train capacity in the Bristol area, and will make an announcement in due course.

Heavy Goods Vehicles: Licensing

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many residents of  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland had heavy goods vehicle licences in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The following table provides the number of drivers who held a heavy goods vehicle licence in the requested countries in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 England 503,009 577,521 674,355 782,103 889,167 
			 Wales 36,398 41,714 48,649 56,166 63,543 
			 Scotland 44,854 51,507 59,860 69,349 78,367 
			 N. Ireland 13,291 18,094 25,160 33,726 42,701

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of  (a) heavy goods vehicles and  (b) public service vehicles were carried out at the Llandrindod Wells test centre in each of the last three years; and how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency received from such tests in each such year.

Paul Clark: The number of tests and income the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency received for  (a) Heavy goods vehicles and  (b) public service vehicles at Llandrindod Wells in the past three years is as set out in the following table:
	
		
			   HGV Tests  HGV Income (£)  PSV Tests  PSV Income (£) 
			 2006-07 2013 105,507.00 363 26,025.00 
			 2007-08 2060 115,083.00 367 28,078.00 
			 2008-09 1774 98,974.00 369 27,867.00

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of  (a) heavy goods vehicles and  (b) public service vehicles have been carried out in (i) England and (ii) Wales by staff of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the last three years.

Paul Clark: The following table sets out the number of tests of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and public service vehicles (PSVs) carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in England and Wales over the past three years:
	
		
			  Financial year  Country  Scheme  Annual tests  Re-tests  Total 
			 2006-07 England HGV and trailers 611,049 121,036 732,085 
			  England PSV 66,264 8,643 74,907 
			  England 2006-07 total  677,313 129,679 806,992 
			   
			  Wales HGV and trailers 36,518 7,445 43,963 
			  Wales PSV 5,784 899 6,683 
			  Wales 2006-07 total  42,302 8,344 50,646 
			   
			 2007-08 England HGV and trailers 605,444 121,592 727,036 
			  England PSV 66,363 9,502 75,865 
			  England 2007-08 total  671,807 131,094 802,901 
			   
			  Wales HGV and trailers 37,955 7,735 45,690 
			  Wales PSV 5,738 926 6,664 
			  Wales 2007-08 total  43,693 8,661 52,354 
			   
			   
			 2008-09 England HGV and trailers 602,359 107,762 710,121 
			  England PSV 68,330 9,251 77,581 
			  England 2008-09 Total  670,689 117,013 787,702 
			   
			  Wales HGV and trailers 35,759 7,016 42,775 
			  Wales PSV 5,717 901 6,618 
			  Wales 2008-09 total  41,476 7,917 49,393

Network Rail: Directors

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 611-2W, on Network Rail: directors, whether he has identified criteria on which he would consider appointing a special director to Network Rail.

Chris Mole: No consideration has been given to identifying such criteria.

Public Expenditure

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects on his Department's priorities and plans of the re-allocation of funding announced in the White Paper, Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654;
	(2)  what proportion of the £1.5 billion to be allocated to new housing announced in Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, will be drawn from his Department's budgets.

Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 9 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 921-22W.

Public Transport: Greater Manchester

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department has allocated for the purposes of improving public transport  (a) in each local authority area in Greater Manchester and  (b) in England in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block funding to local transport authorities outside London for capital investment in transport. Funding is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, including support of public transport. The following table shows funding support in Greater Manchester and England between 2005-06 and 2009-10:
	
		
			  Integrated transport funding 
			   £ million 
			   2009-10  2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06 
			  Greater Manchester  
			 Bolton 1.577 2.244 1.757 1.548 1.694 
			 Bury 1.004 1.488 1.207 1.177 1.290 
			 Manchester 5.203 6.048 5.442 5.358 4.189 
			 Oldham 1.321 1.925 1.852 1.852 2.000 
			 Rochdale 1.197 1.797 1.433 1.332 1.462 
			 Salford 1.457 2.261 2.261 2.260 2.481 
			 Stockport 4.511 5.084 4.837 4.493 1.657 
			 Tameside 2.345 2.871 2.606 2.544 1.536 
			 Trafford 1.148 1.640 1.321 1.265 1.397 
			 Wigan 1.741 2.449 1.881 1..558 1.706 
			 GMITA(1) 26.528 17.905 21.788 16.528 17.088 
			 England 589.393 576.791 571.017 546.999 552.528 
			 (1) GMITA-Greater Manchester integrated transport authority 
		
	
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant, but the Department provides support for public transport through rural bus subsidy and special grant funding to meet the additional cost of the new, England-wide concessionary bus travel. The figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Rural bus subsidy 
			   £ million 
			   Greater Manchester  England 
			 2009-10 0.329 58.500 
			 2008-09 0.320 57.000 
			 2007-08 0.312 55.598 
			 2006-07 0.305 54.300 
			 2005-06 0.298 52.999 
		
	
	
		
			  Concessionary fares funding 
			   £ million 
			   Greater Manchester ITA  England 
			 2009-10 10.800 217.000 
			 2008-09 10.500 212.000 
		
	
	The Department has supported the following major schemes over the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 in the Greater Manchester area.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Northern Orbital quality bus corridor (GMITA) 2.459 
			 South East Manchester quality bus network (GMITA) 11.716 
			 Manchester Metrolink (GMITA) 252.509 
			 Greater Manchester urban traffic control (Manchester City Council) 8 
		
	
	
		
			  Major project allocations in England (£ million)( 1) * 
			  England  £ million 
			 2009-10 383.602 
			 2008-09 467.085 
			 2007-08 264.490 
			 (1) The England figures cover local transport authorities outside London and include funding to improve highways as well as public transport schemes. 
		
	
	Funding support for rail services and bus service operators grant are not available on the basis of local authority boundaries.

Railways

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department  (a) is funding and  (b) plans to fund any projects included in the rail Control Period Four programme.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has funding to deliver the projects included in the programme for Control Period Four.

Railways: Concessions

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what consultation with passengers took place before the introduction of the recent changes in terms and conditions for Network Railcards.

Chris Mole: Network Railcards are offered commercially by train operators.
	Consultation on any proposed changes to the terms and conditions for the Network Railcard are a matter for the participating Train Operators acting together through their industry body, the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Railways: Finance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Exchequer received from  (a) GNER and  (b) National Express East Coast in each year that each held the East Coast Main Line franchise; and what profits each reported to his Department in respect of its operation of the franchise in each such year.

Chris Mole: Details of subsidy paid and premiums received from all Train Operating Companies are published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in National Rail Trends on an annual basis. This document is available in the Library of the House and on the ORR's website at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk
	Details of the profits generated by Great North Eastern Railway and National Express are contained in the certified company accounts which are held at Companies House.

Railways: Franchises

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what mechanisms are in place to ensure the continuity of rail services in the event of the default of a franchisee; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such provision.

Chris Mole: Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended by the Railways Act 2005) places a duty on the Secretary of State for Transport to ensure passenger services are maintained in the event that a franchise is not in place.
	Contingency plans are in place to deal with a franchise failure. These plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are still fit for purpose.
	The cost of any such provision would depend on the specific circumstances of the case.

Railways: Franchises

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many staff of his Department would be required to manage the return of a franchise by a train operating company.

Chris Mole: Staffing requirements would depend on the specific franchise returned and the circumstances at the time of the return.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what legal advice he has received with regard to cross default provisions in rail franchise contracts;
	(2)  if he will publish any legal advice he has received with regard to cross default provisions in rail franchise contracts.

Chris Mole: Legal advice on the issue of cross default in the context of the franchise agreement is privileged and confidential; therefore, it will not be published or divulged.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) punctuality and  (b) reliability of the rail service on the Wimbledon loop line (i) before and (ii) after the award of the franchise to First Capital Connect.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport holds information on punctuality and reliability for each train operator for routes as a whole. The service on the Wimbledon Loop is assessed as part of the Thameslink route and not broken down into specific sections.
	The Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average (PMM MAA) for performance before the start of the First Capital Connect Franchise (April 2006) was 86.2 per cent. The latest PPM MAA performance figure is 89.2 per cent. on the Thameslink route.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to Chart 5 of his Department's publication, Franchise Evaluation Process Charts, May 2008, Selection of winning bid, whether the National Express East Coast bid for the Inter City East Coast franchise awarded in 2007 had a greater than 2.5 per cent. advantage in the delivery plan score against the next best bid, after an assessment of the affordability, compliance and deliverability of the bid had been as completed.

Chris Mole: The Inter City East Coast Franchise was let on 13 August 2007. A January 2007 version of the Franchise Evaluation Process Charts was used in the evaluation process.
	National Express East Coast bid for the Inter City East Coast franchise had a greater than 2.5 per cent advantage in its deliverability score over the lead risk adjusted net present value bidder. Both bids were within the risk adjusted net present value materiality threshold.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to Chart 4 of his Department's publication, Franchise Evaluation Process Charts, May 2008, categorisation of financial risk, what category of financial risk was awarded to the National Express East Coast bid financial for the Inter City East Coast franchise.

Chris Mole: The Intercity East Coast Franchise was let on 13 August 2007. A January 2007 version of the Franchise Evaluation Process Charts was used in the evaluation process.
	National Express East Coast bid was categorised as medium financial risk.

Railways: Franchises

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on his Department's plans for transport schemes of the return to public ownership of the East Coast mainline franchise.

Chris Mole: The temporary transfer of operation of the east coast main line train services to a public sector company will, in itself, have no impact on the plans for long term development of those services or other transport schemes.

Road Signs and Markings: Isle of Sheppey

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will instruct the Highways Agency to ensure that road signage on the Isle of Sheppey and the A249 includes directions to HM Prison Swaleside, HM Prison Elmley and HM Prison Standford Hill.

Chris Mole: The signing for the HM Prisons Isle of Sheppey on the A249 is being reviewed by the Highways Agency in liaison with Kent county council which is responsible for all other roads on the island. The Highways Agency hope to be able to reach a conclusion in this matter soon.

Roads: Death

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many people were killed in  (a) road and  (b) rail accidents in each year since 1980.

Paul Clark: The numbers of people killed in reported  (a) road and  (b) rail accidents in Great Britain in each year between 1980 and 2008 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Number of fatalities 
			   Road accidents( 1)  Rail accidents( 2) : total  O f which :  train accidents( 3) 
			 1980 5,953 429 7 
			 1981 5,846 445 7 
			 1982 5,937 353 11 
			 1983 5,445 427 10 
			 1984 5,599 415 30 
			 1985 5,165 392 6 
			 1986 5,385 397 27 
			 1987 5,125 421 10 
			 1988 5,052 431 40 
			 1989 5,373 362 18 
			 1990 5,217 369 4 
			 1991 4,568 359 12 
			 1992 4,229 307 10 
			 1993 3,814 316 4 
			 1994 3,650 299 12 
			 1995 3,621 269 5 
			 1996 3,598 288 5 
			 1997 3,599 299 8 
			 1998 3,421 288 4 
			 1999 3,423 349 34 
			 2000 3,409 319 7 
			 2001 3,450 308 13 
			 2002 3,431 316 11 
			 2003 3,508 286 11 
			 2004 3,221 288 12 
			 2005 3,201 314 9 
			 2006 3,172 343 1 
			 2007 2,946 309 4 
			 2008 2,538 (4)- (4)- 
			 (1 )Fatalities in reported personal injury road accidents on the public highway which involved at least one vehicle. Confirmed suicides are excluded.  (2) Fatalities in train accidents, accidents occurring through movement of railway vehicles and other accidents occurring on railway infrastructure (including acts of trespass and suicides).  (3) Train accidents are defined as collisions, derailments, trains running into obstructions, fires on board trains and missile damage to drivers' cab windscreens.  (4) 2008 figures for fatalities in rail accidents are scheduled for publication end July 2009.

Roads: Death

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road fatalities there have been in each constituency in the West Midlands in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: The number of fatalities resulting from reported personal injury road accidents in each constituency in the West Midlands in each of the last five years are given in the table:
	
		
			  Number of fatalities 
			  Parliamentary constituency( 1)  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Aldridge-Brownhills 2 0 1 4 0 
			 Birmingham, Edgbaston 3 3 5 3 1 
			 Birmingham, Erdington 1 1 3 3 1 
			 Birmingham, Hall Green 2 2 1 2 6 
			 Birmingham, Hodge Hill 1 3 1 1 2 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood 6 13 10 1 5 
			 Birmingham, Northfield 1 0 6 2 3 
			 Birmingham, Perry Barr 3 4 6 2 5 
			 Birmingham, Selly Oak 3 2 5 5 1 
			 Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath 3 1 5 0 2 
			 Birmingham, Yardley 0 2 5 3 1 
			 Bromsgrove 8 4 6 3 8 
			 Burton 10 4 8 7 5 
			 Cannock Chase 5 3 0 5 2 
			 Coventry, North-East 3 5 3 6 4 
			 Coventry, North-West 1 5 3 1 0 
			 Coventry, South 3 5 4 2 0 
			 Dudley, North 3 2 2 7 1 
			 Dudley, South 4 2 1 6 0 
			 Halesowen and Rowley Regis 4 3 0 1 1 
			 Hereford 4 5 4 9 8 
			 Leominster 12 13 8 14 9 
			 Lichfield 6 4 6 7 5 
			 Ludlow 12 14 8 14 6 
			 Meriden 6 6 4 2 4 
			 Mid-Worcestershire 9 8 14 9 4 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 2 5 5 5 4 
			 North Shropshire 5 14 3 7 8 
			 North Warwickshire 11 7 10 12 6 
			 Nuneaton 5 6 9 9 5 
			 Redditch 2 5 1 2 3 
			 Rugby and Kenilworth 10 6 12 4 6 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 5 7 7 4 5 
			 Solihull 0 2 1 5 0 
			 South Staffordshire 8 1 13 9 7 
			 Stafford 5 6 10 7 6 
			 Staffordshire, Moorlands 6 6 8 4 6 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, Central 6 2 3 1 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, North 1 4 6 1 1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, South 4 4 3 1 3 
			 Stone 19 14 14 17 7 
			 Stourbridge 1 3 4 0 2 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 14 19 13 13 14 
			 Sutton Coldfield 3 2 2 2 2 
			 Tamworth 5 6 5 4 0 
			 Telford 2 3 1 1 2 
			 The Wrekin 5 6 7 4 4 
			 Walsall, North 1 1 1 3 1 
			 Walsall, South 4 4 7 4 3 
			 Warley 4 1 5 0 1 
			 Warwick and Leamington 9 2 3 5 12 
			 West Bromwich, East 4 1 3 1 2 
			 West Bromwich, West 7 1 4 1 2 
			 West Worcestershire 9 6 11 4 9 
			 Wolverhampton, North-East 3 2 1 2 2 
			 Wolverhampton, South-East 0 3 8 2 4 
			 Wolverhampton, South-West 6 7 1 2 3 
			 Worcester 0 1 2 1 1 
			 Wyre Forest 5 8 2 6 8 
			 Total 286 279 304 262 225 
			 (1) Based on 2004 parliamentary boundaries

Tolls

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what forecast his Department has made of the future trends in traffic congestion following the decision not to introduce national road pricing.

Sadiq Khan: The latest forecasts published in December 2008 suggest that congestion across the English road network as a whole will increase by about 37 per cent. between 2003 and 2025. The modelling underpinning the Department for Transport's central forecasts does not assume the introduction of national road pricing.

Transport Innovation Fund

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what projects his Department plans to fund from the  (a) productivity strand and  (b) congestion charging strand of the Transport Innovation Fund.

Sadiq Khan: Under the productivity Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) programme, resources have been allocated to:
	 Rail Schemes:
	Gospel Oak/Barking
	Humber Ports Gauge Enhancement
	Peterborough/Nuneaton Gauge Enhancement
	Southampton/Birmingham Gauge
	Enhancement
	Olive Mount Chord
	 Highway Schemes:
	Birmingham Box Active Traffic Management
	A14 Traffic Management
	In addition, the Department for Transport's contributions to the Crossrail project will be supported by the Fund. Funding also remains available through congestion TIF to support packages that tackle local congestion problems by combining investment in public transport and demand management such as road pricing.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has received from the sale of property in each of the last three years.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) received the following amount in respect of property sales in the last three years:
	2007: Nil
	2008: £1.5 million
	2009: £0.8 million in the year to date.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many Vehicle and Operator Services Agency testing centres in  (a) England and  (b) Wales have closed in each of the last three years.

Paul Clark: No testing centres were closed in 2007. In 2008 the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) closed one test centre in England which was immediately replaced by a new facility in an improved location. VOSA has closed two English test centres so far in 2009.
	VOSA plan to close two further test centres, one in England and one in Wales.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicle testing centres in England and Wales operated by Vehicle and Operator Services Agency staff are owned by  (a) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and  (b) private companies.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not hold ownership details of designated premises which are owned by private companies.
	There are 68 sites in England and Wales which are either owned by the Department for Transport, or held on leases exceeding 40 years-the latter category numbering 13 sites. Of these, four sites are owned by private companies, the remainder are owned by local authorities.

West Coast Railway Line

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether maintenance work is planned on the West Coast Main Line on the weekend of 28 and 29 August.

Chris Mole: Maintenance work is planned on the weekend of 28 and 29 August when all lines will be blocked between Watford Junction and Leighton Buzzard between Saturday morning and Monday lunchtime.
	I understand that Virgin West Coast is proposing to operate additional services between London and Birmingham via an alternative route.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq Committee of Inquiry: Finance

Edward Davey: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how much funding he expects to allocate to the Chilcot Inquiry into Iraq;
	(2)  how many staff the Chilcot Inquiry into Iraq will have;
	(3)  whether witnesses to the Chilcot Inquiry into Iraq will be permitted legal representation; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  which experts have been appointed to assist the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war;
	(5)  if he will request Sir John Chilcot to  (a) publish the rules of procedure which his inquiry into the Iraq war will follow,  (b) establish a website for the inquiry to communicate with the public and  (c) announce a venue for the public hearings to be held during the inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the merits of making provision for immunity for witnesses to the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war in respect of any prosecution which might arise as a result of their evidence; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  whether provision has been made for legal representation for Ministers and former Ministers giving evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war;
	(8)  what discussions he has had with the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war on arrangements for him to give evidence to the inquiry; what such arrangements have been made; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what guidance he has issued to Government Departments on  (a) preparations for and  (b) responses to requests for evidence from the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2009 to Question 283370, on the Chilcot Inquiry, if he will direct the Committee to publish a list of those Privy Council members serving on the Committee who attend each closed session of the inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2009 to Question 283372, on the Chilcot Inquiry, whether a verbatim record of the public sessions of the inquiry will be published daily; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2009 to Question 283458, on the Chilcot Inquiry, for what reasons Sir John Chilcot plans not to have legal representation for the tribunal; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2009 to Question 283460, on the Chilcot Inquiry, under what powers Sir John Chilcot plans to exclude legal representation for witnesses to the inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2009 to Question 283459, on the Chilcot Inquiry, whether he provided guidance to the persons invited to serve on the Committee of Inquiry on the likely time commitment involved and the frequency of meetings; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  when there will be an announcement on the form in which witnesses to the Committee of Inquiry on Iraq will give evidence when doing so on a basis equivalent to giving evidence under oath;
	(7)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2009,  Official Report, column 505W, on Iraq Committee of Inquiry, what level of  (a) remuneration and  (b) expenses will be provided to (i) Sir John Chilcot and (ii) other members of the Committee of Inquiry on Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Members to the statement I made to the House on 15 June 2009, to my letters of 17 and 22 June 2009 to the right hon. Sir John Chilcot GCB and his reply to me of 21 June 2009, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. I also refer to the written answer I gave on 6 July 2009,  Official Report, column 505W.
	As Chairman, it is for Sir John, in consultation with the Inquiry Committee members, to take decisions on how the inquiry conducts its work, and he will make public his intentions. The Cabinet Office, as the sponsoring Department for the inquiry, is taking forward work on the Government's support to and liaison with the inquiry, in consultation with other relevant Government Departments. We will continue to update the House.
	 Letter from  t he Prime Minister, dated 17 June 2009:
	I would like to thank you for agreeing to Chair the Iraq Inquiry. As I said in Parliament, I believe this Inquiry will, through lessons learned, strengthen our diplomacy, our military and our democracy. I am fully committed to a thorough and independent inquiry, and guarantee the full co-operation of the Government. As Privy Counsellors, you will have unhindered access to government documents. I have written to all relevant current and former Ministers to underline the importance of their full cooperation. And the Cabinet Secretary is writing to departments to underline the need for full transparency,
	It is essential that all those appearing before the Inquiry do so with the greatest possible candour and openness, and that the Inquiry itself proceeds as efficiently as possible, while maintaining full public confidence in the integrity of the process and without in any way damaging national security. Once you have met, as I have suggested, the Leaders of the other political parties and the Chairs of the relevant parliamentary Select Committees it would be helpful if you could set out how you and your colleagues think these objectives can best be met in the way that the Inquiry is conducted.
	I hope as part of this that you will consider whether it is possible for there to be a process whereby they give their contributions on oath.
	It is also essential that the families of those who gave their lives in Iraq are properly consulted on the nature of the inquiry. I hope therefore that you will be able to meet them as part of the preparations and as you continue your work, to explain how you are proceeding. This could be, at their request, in public or private.
	Once you have established your plans in more detail, I would encourage you to hold an open session to explain in greater depth the significant scope and breadth of the inquiry.
	I wish you and your Committee well with your important task, and look forward to your conclusions.
	 Letter from Sir John Chilcot, dated 21 June 2009:
	Thank you for your letter of 17 June about the Iraq Inquiry. I am grateful for your assurance of the Government's commitment to a thorough and independent inquiry, and for the steps that have already been taken with former and current Ministers, and Departments, to ensure full cooperation, transparency and access to government documents. I welcome the fact that I and my colleagues are free to decide independently how best to fulfil our remit.
	I am for my part wholly committed to the search for the lessons to be learned for the future from events and experience of the last seven and more years, to uphold the integrity of the process of inquiry and the need to ensure public confidence in it, and to ensure complete candour and openness from witnesses while protecting national security. I will indeed, as you suggest, examine how best, given the non-judicial nature of the Inquiry, a formal undertaking can be given by witnesses that their contributions will be complete, truthful and accurate.
	If a judicial inquiry, or a statutory Tribunal of Inquiry, had been established, then I would not have been asked to take on this responsibility. That would have required an extended process, with legal representation for the tribunal, witnesses, and other interested parties. That is not what we have been asked to conduct. To find without extended delay the key lessons for the future from the Iraq experience is however something I believe is well worthwhile.
	I have as you suggested begun a process of consultation with the Leaders of the main Opposition parties, and with the Chairs of the relevant Parliamentary Select Committees (Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Public Administration as well as the Intelligence and Security Committee). I see this as helping the Inquiry to decide how best we can structure our procedures to fulfil our remit and meet the objectives we have been set. When these consultations have been completed, I expect to be in a position, having taken them fully into account, to say in more detail how we will propose to take the Inquiry forward.
	As part of that, it will, I wholeheartedly agree, be essential to ensure that the families of those who gave their lives in Iraq, or were seriously affected by the conflict, have an early opportunity to express their views about the nature and procedures of the Inquiry, and to express them either in public or in private as they prefer. That will be important in helping us to decide how to go about the task, and explain what we are going to do.
	I have also concluded that the Inquiry will need expert assessors at the highest level, including in military, legal, and international development and reconstruction matters, and I have already begun to identify people who may be willing to serve in that capacity. Then, when we have settled on how we are going to go about the Inquiry, I am sure it is right that we should explain this in open session.
	More broadly, I believe it will be essential to hold as much of the proceedings of the Inquiry as possible in public, consistent with the need to protect national security and to ensure and enable complete candour in the oral and written evidence from witnesses.
	One important point which has not received much public notice so far is that examining and analysing the very large body of existing documentary evidence, stretching over seven or more years, will necessarily occupy a significant part of the time available to the Inquiry, especially in the early stages, and by definition that part of the process cannot be conducted in public sessions. The results of that examination and analysis will, however, be crucial in guiding the selection of witnesses and the detailed questions that will then need to be answered. I expect our report will publish all the relevant evidence except where national security considerations prevent that.
	A particular suggestion which has been made is that the Inquiry might make an interim report, possibly on the run-up to the war, or up to the moment when the coalition assumed responsibility for Iraq's internal affairs. While I do not rule out the possibility, it seems to me clear that the causes and effects of particular phases of these events cannot simply be divided up so as to separate clearly one period from another. To take one obvious example, the existence or otherwise of weapons of mass destruction could not be established with any reliability until well after the conflict phase, after the work of the Iraq Survey Group and others had gone as far as it could, while before the event the outstanding possibility had significant implications for the military deployment into the initial conflict phase.
	Because we will need to give careful attention to what comes out of the consultation processes I have outlined, I am, as I said, not yet in a position to state in more detail exactly how we will conduct the Inquiry. It is however already clear to me that as much as possible of the work of the Inquiry as is consistent with fulfilling our remit should be conducted, or explained, in public.
	 Letter from the Prime Minister, dated 22 June 2009:
	Thank you for your letter. I remain grateful that you have agreed to Chair the Independent Inquiry and welcome your interim response in your letter of 21 June.
	I am grateful you agree with me on the process which has been established to consult with leaders of the main Opposition parties, and with the Chairs of the relevant Parliamentary Select Committees. I share the view that this will help the Inquiry decide how best to structure its procedures to fulfil the remit and meet the objectives we have set.
	I believe the proposals we have discussed to ensure the families of those who gave their lives in Iraq, or who were seriously affected by the conflict, will be able to be involved at the earliest opportunity in the work of the Inquiry remain extremely important. Allowing them to express their views about the nature and procedures of the Inquiry, and being able to express these either in public or in private is essential.
	As an independent Inquiry, as I said in the House of Commons last week, the methodology employed by the Inquiry is a matter for you. The Inquiry should decide on its structure, but I welcome the proposals for the process of the Inquiry as set out in your letter today. I believe your proposals will manage to meet both the need not to compromise national security but also enable the Independent Inquiry also to hold public sessions helping to build public confidence.
	I share your view that the Inquiry will obviously need expert assessors and I am pleased you have already identified several who will be willing to serve in that capacity.
	I am pleased that you intend to set out how these experts will be used and other matters explaining how you will go about the Inquiry in an open session.
	I am grateful for your views that you will continue to examine whether witnesses can give evidence under oath or a similar formal undertaking.
	Following further work and consultations by you, I look forward to hearing your final proposals as soon as possible.

Written Ministerial Statements

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that Ministers observe paragraph 9.3 of the Ministerial Code in relation to written ministerial statements on the last days before the summer recess.

Gordon Brown: Guidance for Ministers on announcements is set out in the Ministerial Code.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Colombia

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 40-42WS, on Colombia, what progress has been made in his Department's work with trade union partners on labour relations in Colombia.

Chris Bryant: We continue to work with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and their Colombian counterparts, the Arbitration and Conciliation Advisory Service (ACAS) and others on opportunities aimed at strengthening labour relations in Colombia.
	Representatives from the TUC, ACAS and the Confederation of British Industry visited Colombia in 2008 to look at the relationship between the Government, employers and unions. Their findings highlighted a number of challenges, and we are presently considering proposals for projects to address some of those challenges.

Colombia: Land Mines

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on landmine clearance projects in Colombia in each of the last five years.

Chris Bryant: Land mine clearance projects in Colombia have been supported by the Conflict Prevention Pool, which is funded jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence.
	Expenditure on these projects over the period concerned has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 24,482 
			 2005-06 35,645 
			 2006-07 28,134 
			 2007-08 18,083 
			 2008-09 17,367 
		
	
	The Conflict Prevention Pool no longer funds projects in South America.

Colombia: Press Freedom

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Colombia on press freedom in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: Freedom of expression and of the press is an issue we raise regularly with the Colombian Government. Our embassy in Colombia has committed over £600,000 to projects in this field over the next two years, which include a programme for strengthening national networks for journalists.
	The press in Colombia play a vital role in bringing matters of importance to the public's attention. They have been instrumental in exposing wrongdoings, and have provided an important platform for the political opposition.

Departmental Responsibilities

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hours he spent on his Ministerial duties in the week commencing 21 June 2009.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spent 81 hours on his ministerial duties in the week commencing 21 June 2009. This includes meetings, dinner engagements and telephone conversations, as well as overseas trips. It does not include the time spent working on the ministerial box at home or constituency matters. The Foreign Secretary spends as much time as necessary to fulfil his ministerial and constituency obligations.

Hamas

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken at the United Nations on allegations of misappropriation of aid by Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK has had a number of working-level contacts with UN counterparts on this issue. The UN has been putting in place a range of verification and quality assurance procedures to minimise the risk of misappropriation of aid.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Israel on the status of Jerusalem as capital of Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government's position is very clear in support of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and Palestine. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear in the House on 30 June 2009,  Official Report, column 152.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of settlements removed by the government of Israel since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received any reports outlining the number of settlements removed by the Israeli Government since 1997.
	We consider all Israeli settlement activity to be illegal and in contravention of international law. Settlement activity remains one of the major obstacles towards achieving a peaceful solution in the Middle East. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear during his recent meeting with the Israeli Defence Minister. We will continue to raise this issue both in public and private.

Israel: Foreign Relations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken recently and  (b) plans to take during the next 12 months to improve UK relations with Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Israel is a close ally of the UK and we have regular warm and productive exchanges at all levels. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on 6 July 2009. We shall continue to foster a close relationship with Israel.

Middle East

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent statement by the Head of Shin Bet Yuval Diskin on the West Bank security barrier.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 8 July 2009
	We are aware of reports on a statement made by the Head of Shin Bet regarding the security barrier.
	While we recognise fully Israel's right to self-defence and agree that if it decides to build a barrier, it should be able to do so, we will continue to make clear to the Government of Israel, both in private and in public, that the barrier must be built either on or behind the green line.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and where he last met Senator George Mitchell in his capacity as the US administration's special envoy to the Middle East.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Senator Mitchell on 26 June 2009 in the margins of the G8 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Trieste. They also spoke on 6 July 2009.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in the Niger Delta.

Ivan Lewis: The Government remain concerned at the continuing high level of instability in the Niger Delta. We welcome the Nigerian Government's announcement of an amnesty and hope that this can lead to constructive dialogue towards reaching political, economic and environmental stability and development benefiting communities in the Delta. The UK stands ready to assist if requested by the Nigerian Government.
	My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will continue to raise the situation in the Delta with senior Nigerians where opportunities arise.

Sri Lanka

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on whether a UN Observer Mission should be sent to Sri Lanka.

Ivan Lewis: We fully support the efforts of the UN in regard to the situation in Sri Lanka and welcome the personal engagement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. We urged the Government of Sri Lanka to use the opportunity of the Secretary-General's recent visit to recognise that the UN has a central role to play, both in the delivery of humanitarian aid and in encouraging the process of political reconciliation that must be an integral part of rebuilding Sri Lanka's civil society. We would support further UN involvement that would lead to an improvement on the ground.

Sri Lanka

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the government of Sri Lanka on the freedom of the press in that country.

Ivan Lewis: We regularly raise our concerns about media freedom, including attacks against media personnel, with the Sri Lankan Government. We believe the Sri Lankan authorities have a duty to take prompt action to ensure thorough and independent investigations are carried out into all incidents. We have also expressed our concern about media freedom in Sri Lanka through UK and EU statements this year.

Sri Lanka

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by the Government in the UN Human Rights Council on alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

Ivan Lewis: At the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on 26-27 May 2009, we raised our concerns about the human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. We condemned the killing of civilians in the conflict and expressed concern for the many thousands displaced from their homes. We also used the opportunity to draw attention to the worrying reports of extra-judicial killings, politically motivated disappearances and attacks on the media. A copy of the UK's full statement can be found here:
	http://ukungeneva.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/pdf1/hrc-sri-lanka-statement-26052009.
	I have placed a copy in the House Library.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Sri Lanka on the return of Sri Lankan Muslims in Puttalam who were displaced by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1990.

Ivan Lewis: It is important that all communities, including Muslims, that have been displaced by the conflict over the years are able to return to their homes as soon as possible. We regularly discuss this with the Sri Lankan Government. Our immediate concern remains the humanitarian needs of the 280,000 civilians displaced by the recent fighting who are still held in camps. We support the continued engagement by Walter Kälin, the UN Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, in addressing the needs of all displaced persons in Sri Lanka.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan.

Ivan Lewis: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, discussed the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) with Scott Gration, US Special Envoy to Sudan, in the margins of the African Union summit on 1 July 2009. He also led the UK delegation to the Forum of Supporters of the CPA in Washington on 23 June 2009.
	Senior officials maintain regular contact with the US Administration on CPA and other Sudan issues. In addition, we remain in contact with the US embassy in Khartoum and US consulate in Juba.

CABINET OFFICE

Cancer: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases of cancer have been  (a) diagnosed and  (b) successfully treated in (i) the North East, (ii) Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of cancer have been (a) diagnosed and (b) cured in (i) the North East, (ii) Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006. Numbers of (a) newly diagnosed cases of cancer from 1997 to 2006 in (i) the North East government office region, (ii) Tees Valley district and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency are in Table 1.
	It cannot be stated definitively whether a patient (b) has been definitely cured. For most cancers, five-year survival rates are often taken to be 'cure' rates. Cancer survival rates are only produced for specific cancers. A figure giving the overall survival rate for all cancer patients is not produced as it would not be meaningful to combine figures for disparate conditions having very different survival rates.
	ONS regularly publishes five-year relative survival for patients resident in England, government office regions and strategic health authorities for the most common cancers. The most recent report can be found on the ONS website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of all cancers( 1) , North East Government office region, Tees Valley district( 2)  and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency( 3) ,1997 to 2006 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 North East 12,384 12,922 13,093 13,119 13,483 13,645 13,748 13,605 13,620 13,495 
			 Tees Valley 3,118 3,117 3,211 3,207 3,209 3,309 3,397 3,376 3,328 3,246 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 465 477 418 476 472 500 511 499 461 465 
			 (1) All cancers coded to C00-C97 excluding C44 (non-melanoma skin cancer) in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) (2) Tees Valley is defined as the Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington local authorities. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2008.  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Cancer: South East

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases of cancer have been  (a) diagnosed and  (b) successfully treated in (i) Hemel Hempstead constituency, (ii) Dacorum, (iii) Hertfordshire and (iii) the South East in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of cancer have been (a) diagnosed and (b) successfully treated in (i) Hemel Hempstead constituency, (ii) Dacorum, (iii) Hertfordshire and (iv) the South East in each year since 1997.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006. Numbers of (a) newly diagnosed cases of cancer from 1997 to 2006 in (i) Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency, (ii) Dacorum local authority, (iii) Hertfordshire county and (iv) the South East government office region in each year since 1997 are given in Table 1.
	It cannot be stated definitively whether a patient (b) has been successfully treated. For most cancers, five-year survival rates are often taken to be 'cure' rates. Cancer survival rates are only produced for specific cancers. A figure giving the overall survival rate for all cancer patients is not produced as it would not be meaningful to combine figures for disparate conditions having very different survival rates.
	ONS regularly publishes five-year relative survival for patients resident in England, government office regions and strategic health authorities for the most common cancers. The most recent report can be found on the ONS website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of all cancers( 1) : Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency( 2) , Dacorum local authority, Hertfordshire county and the South East government office region, 1997 to 2006 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
			 Hemel Hempstead 381 400 439 411 420 389 308 340 478 345 
			 Dacorum 542 585 653 563 549 591 482 527 653 511 
			 Hertfordshire 4,378 4,232 4,321 4,334 4,149 3,967 4,038 4,093 4,640 4,038 
			 South East 36,698 36,240 38,108 37,649 37,967 37,391 37,468 39,018 38,627 38,775 
			 (1)All cancers coded to C00-C97 excluding C44 (non-melanoma skin cancer) in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) (2) Based on boundaries as of 2008.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Conditions of Employment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what measures are in place regarding the use in Government infrastructure programmes of local employment contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Public procurers are required to seek value for money through fair and open competition. They must comply with EU Treaty open market principles and the UK public procurement Regulations implementing the 2004 EU Public Procurement Directives. These set out the value for money criteria to be used for the award of public contracts. Any preferential treatment for local companies or those offering local employment is not allowed.

Death: Drugs

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) drug-related and  (b) methadone-related deaths there were in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) drug-related and (b) methadone-related deaths there were in each year since 1997. (285232)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where (a) the underlying cause was drug poisoning, and (b) methadone was mentioned on the death certificate either alone or with other substances, in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths from (a) drug poisoning( 1)  and (b) where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales( 2)  , 1997 to 2007( 3, 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Drug poisoning  Methadone alone  Methadone with other substances 
			 1997 2,817 288 437 
			 1998 2,976 230 398 
			 1999 3,110 178 336 
			 2000 2,932 150 269 
			 2001 3,093 126 244 
			 2002 2,830 91 199 
			 2003 2,623 74 201 
			 2004 2,787 105 219 
			 2005 2,762 98 220 
			 2006 2,570 125 241 
			 2007 2,640 167 325 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where the underlying cause was  (a) due to drug poisoning (corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes are shown in Box 1), and  (b) where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, either alone or in combination with other substances. (2 )Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4 )Figures for deaths registered in 2008 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define drug-related poisoning deaths by underlying cause 
			  Description  ICD-9  ICD-10 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) 292, 304, 305.2-305.9 F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E850-E858 X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E950.0-E950.5 X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances E962.0 X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent E980.0-E980.5 Y10-Y14

Death: Drugs

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths were caused by drug dependency in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were caused by drug dependency in each year since 1997. (285233)
	ONS routinely publishes figures on deaths related to drug poisoning, and the latest report was published on 28 August 2008(1). However, it is not possible to determine from information collected at death registration whether a death was caused by drug dependency, since this information is not routinely recorded.
	(1 )Office for National Statistics (2008). Report: Deaths related to drug poisoning: England and Wales, 2003 to 2007. Health Statistics Quarterly 39, 82-88

Death: Skin Cancer

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths from skin cancer were recorded in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from skin cancer were recorded in each year since 1997. (285451)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where skin cancer was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, from 2004 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Number of deaths where skin cancer was the underlying cause of death( 1) , England and Wales( 2) , 1997  to  2008( 3,4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			 1997 1,734 
			 1998 1,865 
			 1999 1,844 
			 2000 1,867 
			 2001 1,877 
			 2002 1,921 
			 2003 2,036 
			 2004 2,073 
			 2005 2,068 
			 2006 2,109 
			 2007 2,313 
			 2008 2,264 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 172-173 (Malignant melanoma of skin, and Other malignant neoplasm of skin) for the years 1997 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C43 -C44 (Malignant melanoma of skin, and Other malignant neoplasm of skin) for 2001 onwards. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4) Figures for deaths registered in 2008 are provisional.

Departmental ICT

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the Minister for Digital Engagement and Civil Service Issues on the use and provision of information communications technology in  (a) the Civil Service,  (b) Government Departments and  (c) 10 Downing Street; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Government's online communications strategy in meeting its objectives; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent discussions she has had with the Minister for Digital Engagement and Civil Service Issues on the Government's online communications strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Power of Information Taskforce was formed in April 2008 to help increase innovation in the use of new media by Government and to improve the way Departments share information. The taskforce published their final report on 2 March 2009 and made 25 recommendations for further action. All these recommendations have been accepted.
	Copies of the Taskforce's report and the Government response have been placed in the Library.

Divorce

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many divorces were granted in each region in each of the last 30 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, July 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many divorces were granted in each region in each of the last 30 years. (285997)
	Divorce statistics are based upon information supplied to ONS by the courts in England and Wales. The fact that a divorce has taken place in a court in a particular region does not mean that either one or both parties are resident there. Therefore, divorce statistics have been historically presented at a national level only. Table 1 shows the number of divorces separately for Wales and England for all years from 1986 to 2007. Figures are not available for years prior to 1986. Figures for 2008 will be published later in the year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of divorces by country 1986 to 2007 
			  Thousand 
			   Wales  England 
			 1986 7.8 146.0 
			 1987 7.8 143.2 
			 1988 7.9 144.7 
			 1989 8.2 142.7 
			 1990 8.3 145.1 
			 1991 8.4 150.1 
			 1992 8.9 151.5 
			 1993 8.9 156.1 
			 1994 8.6 149.6 
			 1995 8.0 147.5 
			 1996 8.4 148.7 
			 1997 8.0 138.7 
			 1998 7.8 137.4 
			 1999 7.5 137.0 
			 2000 7.2 133.9 
			 2001 7.4 136.4 
			 2002 7.6 140.2 
			 2003 7.7 145.8 
			 2004 7.9 145.5 
			 2005 7.2 134.6 
			 2006 7.0 125.6 
			 2007(1) 6.7 121.9 
			 (1) Data are provisional for 2007

Drownings

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths from drowning were recorded in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from drowning were recorded in each of the last five years. (285446)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where drowning was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, from 2004 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	Deaths from drowning may be accidental or due to suicide or homicide.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where drowning was the underlying cause of death( 1) , England and Wales( 2) , 2004-08( 3,4) 
			   Number 
			 2004 412 
			 2005 432 
			 2006 429 
			 2007 390 
			 2008 429 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using die International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), codes W65-W74 (Accidental drowning and submersion), X71 (Intentional self-harm by drowning and submersion), X92 (Assault by drowning and submersion) and Y21 (Drowning and submersion, undetermined intent). (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4) Figures for deaths registered in 2008 are provisional.

Employment: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) men and  (b) women were in employment in (i) City of York constituency, (ii) the City of York local authority area and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber in (A) May 1997 and (B) each year since.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women were in employment in (i) City of York constituency (ii) City of York local authority area and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber region in (A) May 1997 and (B) each year since. (285824)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the Annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Table 1 shows the number of males and females in employment resident in the requested areas. For the 12 month periods ending in February for 1997 to 2004 estimates have been provided from the Annual LFS. For the 12 month periods ending in December 2004 to 2008 estimates have been provided from the APS. The estimates for Yorkshire and The Humber have also been compiled from the Annual LFS and APS to be consistent with those for the City of York parliamentary constituency and City of York local authority and will therefore differ from the employment figures published in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment and unemployment are available from the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of males and females in employment aged 16 and over resident in the City of York  parliamentary constituency , City of York local authority and Yorkshire and the Humber 
			   Thousand 
			   City of York  parliamentary constituency  City of York local authority  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			   Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			  12 months ending   
			 February 1997 22 22 43 39 1,163 988 
			 February 1998 24 21 43 34 1,178 993 
			 February 1999 28 20 45 38 1,202 1,010 
			 February 2000 25 20 44 39 1,197 1,014 
			 February 2001 27 24 49 44 1,208 1,051 
			 February 2002 28 24 49 43 1,221 1,044 
			 February 2003 29 25 50 43 1,233 1,047 
			 February 2004 28 25 48 43 1,248 1,064 
			 December 2004 29 27 49 44 1,247 1,068 
			 December 2005 30 27 52 47 1,298 1,098 
			 December 2006 29 28 51 50 1,309 1,107 
			 December 2007 32 27 54 49 1,324 1,108 
			 December 2008(1) **32 **28 **54 **51 *1,324 1,124 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key  Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%)  Statistical Robustness * 0 ≤ CV 5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤CV  10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10≤ CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source:  Annual Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey

Lobbying

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Government plans to respond to the Public Administration Select Committee's First Report of this Session on Lobbying: access and influence in Whitehall; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 8 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 824-25W.

Parliamentary Session

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information her Department holds on the average length of a working week in each of the last 30 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what information is held on the average length of a working week in each of the last 30 years. (285685)
	Estimates of the average actual weekly hours of work for those in employment from 1980 to 2009 are shown in the attached table. This information is updated monthly as part of the Labour Market Statistics Bulletin and can be found on the National Statistics website at the following address:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/LMS_FR_HS/WebTable07.xls
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Average actual weekly hours of work, three-month periods ending April, 1980 to 2009, United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted 
			   Average weekly hours( 1, 2) 
			 1980 34.6 
			 1981 33.7 
			 1982 33.6 
			 1983 33.5 
			 1984 33.5 
			 1985 33.7 
			 1986 33.5 
			 1987 33.6 
			 1988 33.7 
			 1989 33.8 
			 1990 33.7 
			 1991 33.2 
			 1992 33.0 
			 1993 32.9 
			 1994 33.2 
			 1995 33.4 
			 1996 33.2 
			 1997 33.3 
			 1998 33.3 
			 1999 32.9 
			 2000 32.8 
			 2001 32.7 
			 2002 32.5 
			 2003 32.2 
			 2004 32.1 
			 2005 32.1 
			 2006 32.0 
			 2007 32.0 
			 2008 32.0 
			 2009 31.6 
			 (1) Average hours actually worked in the reference week, which includes hours worked in second jobs. (2) Figures include both paid and unpaid overtime.  Note: The above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels mobile home sites etc.)  Source: Labour Force Survey.

Public Houses: Closures

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate her Department has made of the number of public houses which have ceased trading in each of the last 30 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter  from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what estimate has been made of the number of public houses to have ceased trading in each of the last 30 years. (285687)
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography. Data on business deaths are only available back as far as 2002 in this series. The table below contains the count of enterprise deaths of public houses for 2002-2007.
	
		
			  Table showing counts of Enterprise 'deaths' within Public Houses SICs for the years 2002-07 
			  Standard industrial c lassification  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 55402-Independent public houses and bars 5,530 6,775 6,875 6,175 5,300 5,260 
			 55403-Tenanted public houses and bars 2,150 2,610 2,950 2,590 2,310 2,340 
			 55404-Managed public houses and bars 130 200 255 315 345 350 
			 Total 7,810 9,585 10,080 9,080 7,955 7,950

Unemployment: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her most recent estimate is of the number of children in a household in which no adult is in work in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the most recent estimate is of the number of children in a household in which no adults work in a) Essex and b) Castle Point. (285961)
	Estimates for Essex from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household dataset for January to December 2007 are shown in the attached table. An estimate for Castle Point has not been provided as it is unreliable for practical purposes.
	Figures for children in households are based on children aged under 16 years old living in working age households. A working-age household is a household that includes at least one person of working-age, that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
	
		
			  Number of children( 1)  in workless( 2)  households in Essex, 2007, January to December 2007 
			  Thousand 
			   Estimate  Lower bound( 3)  Upper bound( 3) 
			 Essex 32 23 42 
			 (1 )Children under 16. (2) Workless household is a working-age household where no one aged 16 or over is working. (3) 95 per cent. confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent. certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds.  Source: Annual Population Survey Household data sets

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission: Public Appointments

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to make appointments of Audit Commissioners to replace those commissioners who retired at the end of March 2009.

Rosie Winterton: Three audit commissioners left the board at the end of April 2009. The statutory size of the board is being reduced from 1 August and in the light of this, we are not replacing all three members.
	Interviews took place in June 2009, to appoint one new member to the Audit Commission board and we expect to announce a decision shortly.

Chorley Borough Council: Bank Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 199W, on Chorley Borough Council: bank services, what steps his Department has taken to assist Chorley Borough Council in recovering its deposits in Icelandic banks; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 July 2009,  Official Report, column 958W.

Council Housing: Construction

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether new council houses to be built under the proposals in Building Britain's Future will be allowed to be sold under right to buy provisions.

John Healey: Tenants in new council houses will have the same rights as other council tenants. However, I announced last month that we will exclude all new build council housing from the HRA subsidy system, which means that councils will retain in full the rent and capital receipts from these homes.

Council Housing: Construction

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 29 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 21-24, on Building Britain's Future, what steps he is taking to inform councils of the new opportunities for them to build homes; and how he plans to encourage them to do so.

John Healey: We have encouraged local authorities by making up to £350 million available to support the provision of new council housing, and by changing the rules governing the financing of such housing. The Homes and Communities Agency issued guidance to local authorities on accessing the funding available on 8 May, and will encourage delivery through its continuing dialogue with each authority.

Council Housing: Construction

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 29 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 21-24, on Building Britain's Future, when he expects the local authority house building programme to start.

John Healey: I expect the first building starts of new homes in the last quarter of 2009.

Council Housing: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date he expects his Department to launch its consultation on the future of the Housing Revenue Account.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 8 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 898-99W.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to his Department's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Shahid Malik: No changes have been made to the Department's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Departmental Responsibilities

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister in his Department has lead policy responsibility for the Audit Commission.

Rosie Winterton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is responsible for all areas of policy, including those relating to the Audit Commission. I as Minister of State with responsibility for local government, lead on oversight of the Audit Commission on his behalf.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities have to charge households for the provision of wheelie bins.

Dan Norris: I have been asked to reply.
	Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out the provisions under which an authority can seek payment for waste receptacles, which include wheelie bins.

Eco-Towns: Finance

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has allocated for its eco-towns programme in each of the next three years.

John Healey: We expect to make growth area funding available to those taking forward eco-town proposals, and in particular to support early delivery. In addition support will be available from the National Affordable Housing Programme, managed by the Homes and Communities Agency.

Home Information Packs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make an assessment of the effects of the introduction of home information packs on the level of  (a) demand for the services of domestic energy assessors and  (b) competition in the domestic energy assessment market; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Both demand for the services of domestic energy assessors and competition in the domestic energy assessment market are matters for the market to determine. There are therefore no plans to carry out an assessment of the effects of the introduction of home information packs on either.

Homes and Communities Agency: Finance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the Homes and Communities Agency's capital funding he expects to be allocated to the provision of homes for  (a) social rent,  (b) shared ownership and shared equity,  (c) intermediate rent,  (d) intermediate tenure other than intermediate rent and  (e) private sale in each region in the next three years.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency will set out their spending plans and allocations in their corporate plan, which will be published shortly.

Housing: Construction

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 112, on housing policy, whether his Department is on course to deliver three million new homes by 2020.

Ian Austin: The Housing Green Paper, Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable, published in July 2007, set out the Government's ambition to increase housing supply.
	The Department does not produce forecasts of housing supply. However, the Government recognise that the current financial and economic conditions will make the achievement of their housing supply ambition extremely challenging. But despite the difficult economic and financial conditions, long-term pressures on housing supply and affordability remain. The Government therefore remain fully committed to doing all they can to meet the long-term demand and need for housing.
	At Budget 2009 the Government announced a further £1 billion housing package which included a £400 million Kickstart housing delivery fund to restart stalled construction activity across the country. This should help developers retain jobs and skills, and boost the supply of homes over the next year.
	In order to complement this investment, the Government are putting in place measures to enable a strong and sustainable recovery in house building, including: ensuring availability of sufficient supply of land and an effective and responsive planning system; and delivering effective and coordinated infrastructure provision.

Housing: Construction

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes for  (a) social rent,  (b) shared ownership and shared equity,  (c) intermediate rent and  (d) intermediate tenure other than intermediate rent have been (i) started, (ii) completed and (iii) acquired in the last three years; what estimate he has made of the number of homes in each such category to be (A) started, (B) completed and (C) acquired in the next three years; how many homes for private purchase have been (1) started and (2) completed in the last three years; and how many he expects to be (x) started and (y) completed in the next three years.

Ian Austin: Figures showing the number of social rent, intermediate rent and low cost home ownership completions in England, broken down by new build completions and acquisitions, were released in live table 1009 on the CLG website in December 2008:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/tablel009.xls
	Affordable housing figures are collated from the Homes and Communities Agency investment management system (IMS); and housing strategy statistical appendix (HSSA) returns and P2 house building returns submitted to CLG by local authorities.
	Comprehensive figures showing the total number of affordable housing starts are not available.
	Communities and Local Government do not set targets for affordable housing. The details of how the national affordable housing programme (NAHP) will be managed, taking account of the housing pledge, part of Building Britain's Future, announced on 29 June, will be published in the HCA corporate plan shortly.
	Figures showing the number of house building starts and completions in England, broken down by tenure, were released in live tables 208 (house building starts) and 209 (house building completions) on the CLG website in May 2009:
	 Starts:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/323492.xls
	 Completions:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/323495.xls
	Figures are not available showing how many homes for private purchase are expected to be started and completed in the next three years.

Housing: Construction

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent under the Kickstart programme to re-start stalled housing projects; and how many houses have been completed under the programme.

John Healey: Since its announcement in April, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has been conducting a competitive exercise to select projects for the Kickstart Housing Development Programme. I expect to announce the first allocations from the HCA from this programme later this month and to see the first building starts of new homes from the third quarter of 2009.

Housing: Energy

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people had successfully completed a diploma in  (a) domestic energy assessment and  (b) home inspection in (i) Hemel Hempstead constituency, (ii) Hertfordshire and (iii) England at the latest date for which figures are available.

John Healey: Data about the number of people who successfully complete diplomas for either domestic energy assessment or home inspection are not collected centrally.

Housing: Energy

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of additional energy-efficient homes the Government expects to be built in the next two years which will be built in eco-towns.

John Healey: As yet no decisions have been made on those locations with potential to be an eco-town, but our aim is to see the first phase of a number of exemplar projects starting in the next couple of years, which will include providing energy efficient homes.

Housing: Low Incomes

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes for shared ownership, shared equity and discounted market sale were sold to households with an annual household income at the time of purchase of  (a) £20,000 or less,  (b) between £20,001 and £30,000,  (c) between £30,001 and £40,000,  (d) between £40,001 and £50,000,  (e) between £50,001 and £60,000,  (f) between £60,001 and £70,000 and  (g) over £70,000 in 2008-09; and what the average amount of subsidy provided to households in each income bracket was in that year.

John Healey: These data are available from the Continuous Recording (CORE) returns to the Tenant Services Authority from registered social landlords. Data for 2008-09, however, are not yet available.

Housing: Low Incomes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 29 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 21-24, on Building Britain's Future, whether the £1.5 billion additional expenditure for affordable housing he announced includes the £400 million allocated in the 2009 Budget.

John Healey: The £1.5 billion for the Housing Pledge set out in Building Britain's Future is additional expenditure. It does not include the £400 million allocated in the 2009 Budget.

Housing: Low Incomes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities which have transferred housing stock to a registered social landlord under a large scale voluntary transfer are permitted to build new social housing.

Ian Austin: There is nothing to prevent any local housing authority building new social housing.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many new properties were available for sale under the  (a) HomeBuy Direct,  (b) New Build HomeBuy and  (c) Rent to HomeBuy scheme in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many properties were available under the  (a) HomeBuy Direct,  (b) New Build HomeBuy,  (c) Rent to HomeBuy and  (d) First-time Buyers Initiative in each of the last 12 months.

John Healey: Data on the number of properties available each month for New Build HomeBuy and Rent to HomeBuy are not held centrally. The following table shows the number of newly completed properties available for New Build HomeBuy and Rent to HomeBuy in each of the last 12 months.
	
		
			   NewBuild Home B uy  Rent to HomeBuy 
			  2008   
			 July 415 0 
			 August 495 0 
			 September 868 18 
			 October 474 70 
			 November 545 28 
			 December 1,129 48 
			
			  2009   
			 January 413 10 
			 February 632 27 
			 March 2,849 972 
			 April 126 63 
			 May 388 245 
			 June 716 133 
		
	
	There were 1,670 properties available under the First Time Buyers initiative in July 2008. This has gradually declined and as at the end of June 2009 there were 1,118 properties available.
	HomeBuy Direct was introduced in September 2008 and there are currently over 8,000 properties available.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expenditure his Department has incurred on  (a) HomeBuy Direct,  (b) OwnHome,  (c) OpenMarket HomeBuy,  (d) the First-time Buyers Initiative,  (e) MyChoice HomeBuy,  (f) New Built HomeBuy,  (g) Social HomeBuy and  (h) Rent to HomeBuy in 2009-10 to date.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) on 21 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1546W.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been withdrawn from the  (a) HomeBuy Direct,  (b) New Build HomeBuy,  (c) Rent to HomeBuy and  (d) First Time Buyers Initiative scheme in each of the last 12 months.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) on 28 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1178W.
	No homes have been withdrawn from First Time Buyers Initiative schemes in the last 12 months. It is open to housing associations to convert NewBuild HomeBuy units to social, intermediate rent and Rent to HomeBuy to meet local circumstances.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest date was on which applications for  (a) OwnHome,  (b) MyChoice HomeBuy and  (c) Open Market HomeBuy were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The latest dates on which applications were taken for MyChoiceHomeBuy were in mid May and early July for Ownhome.
	Open Market HomeBuy is a general term for Ownhome and MyChoiceHomeBuy rather than a separate product.

Housing: Sales

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will permit local authorities to participate in the Housing and Communities Agency's clearing house scheme for the sale of homes to housing associations.

John Healey: The Home and Communities Agency's (HCA) National Clearing House was set up to streamline initial assessment of national packages of at least 250 units from private sector house builders and operated during 2008-09. For the future, the HCA will continue to fund the purchase of unsold stock from developers where it represents value for money, is of good quality and in the right locations.
	Local authorities, who successfully pre-qualify, will be able to bid for grant from the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme through two bidding rounds announced in May.

Local Government: Bank Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provision each local authority which has lost more than £5 million as a result of the Icelandic banking collapse has made to cover the loss.

Rosie Winterton: It is for each individual local authority to assess and manage their own financial situation and revise their financial plans and strategies where necessary. We do not hold the information requested.
	We produced a regulation, which came into force on 31 March 2009, which allows local authorities to postpone the impact on budget calculations of the impairments required by accounting practice from the financial year 2009-10 to 2010-11. This will give councils time to adjust their medium-term financial plans and be clearer about how much money might be recovered before taking decisions which affect their budgets or council tax.

Local Government: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) local authorities in England and  (b) City of York Council spent on employing (i) educational and (ii) other staff in (A) 2002-03 and (B) the latest year for which figures are available; and what change there has been in the proportion of (1) local authority and (2) City of York Council expenditure on staff since 2002-03.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Employee expenditure 
			  £ million 
			2002-03  2007-08 
			 City of York Education service 67.5 89.8 
			  Other services 37.6 62.3 
			  All services 105.1 152.1 
			  Percentage of total net current expenditure: all services 63 69 
			 
			 England Education service 21,972.8 30,087.7 
			  Other services 22,372.0 31,593.7 
			  All services 44,344.8 61,681.5 
			  Percentage of total net current expenditure: all services 68 65 
		
	
	Total expenditure on employees as reported by authorities to Communities and Local Government on revenue outturn (RO) forms. This includes all direct and indirect employee expenses and contributions to employee-related provisions, including national insurance contributions, pensions and employee-related expenses.
	Figures are not necessarily comparable year-on-year owing to changes in the funding, function and structure of local authorities during this time. In particular, the outturn data for 2002-03 have been calculated on a non-financial reporting standard (FRS) 17 basis while the outturn data for 2007-08 have been calculated on a FRS 17 basis.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what expenditure his Department has incurred on the administration of the Mortgage Rescue Scheme to date;
	(2)  what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Mortgage Rescue Scheme to date.

John Healey: The Mortgage Rescue Scheme was established as part of wide continuing work on the Department's homelessness prevention programme. The impact assessment, which sets out the estimated costs and benefits for the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, was published on 16 September 2008 and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homeownerssupportpackage
	The Mortgage Rescue Scheme has funding of £285 million over two years. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is responsible for delivery of the scheme. The HCA's programme expenditure will be published in its annual report and accounts.

Non-Domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the  (a) total business rate liability that eligible businesses will defer under the business rate deferral scheme and  (b) number of businesses eligible to make such deferrals in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Rosie Winterton: On  (a), details of take-up estimates and revenue impacts of the business rates deferral scheme are contained in the scheme's impact assessment which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/em/uksiem_20091597_en.pdf
	A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	On  (b), information on the number of businesses eligible to defer in 2009-10 is not held centrally.
	We have no plans to implement a similar business rates deferral scheme for 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Non-Domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the number of properties subject to the business rate deferral scheme in respect of which more than 40 per cent. of the 2009-10 rates liability will have been paid before the first recalculated payment instalments are issued by local authorities; and what estimate has been made of the total business rate liabilities which will have been paid before the recalculated payments come into effect.

Rosie Winterton: No estimates have been made as the required information is not held centrally. Ratepayers are able to defer 60 per cent. of the increase in their 2009-10 rates bills caused by: the RPI adjustment to the non-domestic rates multiplier; and the end of the transitional relief scheme for the 2005 revaluation period. However, the amount that an eligible ratepayer can defer will be based on their entire 2009-10 bill.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representations his Department has received on empty property business rate relief from  (a) representative industry groups and  (b) individual property owners since January 2008.

Rosie Winterton: Our records show that we received 349 letters on empty property rates (EPR) between March 2007 and December 2008 from businesses and individuals both directly to Community and Local Government Ministers and via constituency MPs.
	We have received representations from a number of representative bodies. These include:
	British Property Federation
	Consortium of British Industry
	British Council of Shopping Centres
	Machinery Users Association
	British Retail Consortium
	The Urban Regeneration Companies.
	The Government listened to the concerns expressed by stakeholders and as a result announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report a temporary raising of the threshold at which rates on empty property becomes due from £2,200 to £15,000.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the number of properties  (a) eligible for empty property business rate relief and  (b) on which empty property business rate relief was claimed in each region in each year from 2005-06 to 2008-09; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for each year from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Rosie Winterton: Local authority estimates of the number of properties on which empty property relief was being claimed, by region, as at 31 December 2007 and 31 December 2008 are shown in the following table. Data for earlier years were not collected and no estimates have been made of the number of properties that will claim relief in future years.
	
		
			  Number of properties on which empty property relief is being claimed 
			   31 December 2007  31 December 2008 
			 North East 8,575 7,570 
			 North West 30,305 27,597 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 19,235 17,138 
			 East Midlands 15,158 12,244 
			 West Midlands 24,282 18,181 
			 East of England 19,682 14,967 
			 London 33,506 20,840 
			 South East 20,498 15,793 
			 South West 15,129 13,593 
			 Total England 186,370 147,923 
		
	
	No estimates have been made of the number of properties eligible for empty property rate relief.
	Data are not strictly comparable as the rules governing empty property rate relief were changed by the Ratings (Empty Properties) Act 2007 and further subsequent changes.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much empty property business rate relief was granted in each region in each year from 2005-06 to 2008-09; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for each year from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Rosie Winterton: Details of the amount of empty property business rate relief granted in each year by local authorities (in £ million) in each region in each year from 2005-06 to 2007-08 are shown in the following table. Also shown are local authority estimates of the empty property business rate relief they will grant in 2008-09 and 2009-10. No estimates have been made for 2010-11 or 2011 -12.
	
		
			  Empty property business rate relief granted by local authorities 
			  £ million 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1)  2009-10( 1) 
			 North East 36.9 43.4 42.2 32.8 22.1 
			 North West 161.3 189.3 178.6 149.3 94.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 97.0 110.0 117.7 82.4 50.9 
			 East Midlands 74.1 83.4 81.6 77.3 43.7 
			 West Midlands 154.8 145.1 143.8 111.3 54.2 
			 East of England 119.2 122.5 127.9 102.1 52.9 
			 London 397.7 383.2 327.6 246.7 145.3 
			 South East 202.2 206.1 195.0 140.3 67.3 
			 South West 70.3 78.8 79.5 59.1 39.0 
			 Total England 1,313.5 1,361.8 1,294.0 1,001.2 569.8 
			 (1) Estimate

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in business rates on empty properties in each region in each year from 2005-06 to 2008-09; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for each year from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not available centrally.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fast-track reassessments of port operators' business rates are being made by the Valuation Office Agency; how long on average each such reassessment has taken; and when he expects such reassessments to be completed.

Rosie Winterton: Since 24 November 2008 the Valuation Office Agency has received 308 proposals (appeals) against properties within ports. All have been dealt with in accordance with the 'fast track' procedures. 71 appeals have been resolved. At 1 June 2009 the average time taken for each appeal was 44 days.
	In all but the most complex cases, the agency will reach a considered decision within two months of the date of receipt of the appeal.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many operators in each port  (a) are being assessed and  (b) remain to be assessed for business rates by the Valuation Office Agency.

Rosie Winterton: Within the 45 statutory ports and container terminals in England, there are, at 1 April 2005, over 2,200 separate assessments for business rates.
	The Valuation Office Agency continues to update the rating list to reflect new information and physical changes since 1 April 2005 in accordance with its statutory functions to maintain the rating lists.

Repossession Orders

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to provide security of tenure to tenants resident in properties subject to repossession proceedings.

Ian Austin: We announced on 13 May 2009 our intention to legislate at the earliest opportunity to fill a gap in legal protection for private tenants whose landlords are repossessed to ensure that those tenants get adequate notice to vacate the property, regardless of whether their tenancy has been authorised by the landlord's lender.
	We will consult on our proposals over the summer 2009 with a view to legislate at the next opportunity.

Shared Ownership Schemes

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many shared ownership purchases were made in  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) England by people registered on housing waiting lists in each year since 2000; and what proportion of all such sales this represented in each such year.

Ian Austin: Information on shared ownership purchases is not available below the spatial level of local authority.
	The following table shows the number of shared ownership completions made in Dacorum local authority, Hertfordshire and England by people on housing waiting lists, and as a percentage of total shared ownership sales.
	
		
			   Dacorum  Hertfordshire  England 
			   Number of sales  Percentage of sales  Number of sales  Percentage of sales  Number of sales  Percentage of sales 
			 2000-01 0 0 10 34 1,360 36 
			 2001-02 0 0 (1)- 18 1,310 32 
			 2002-03 10 100 10 38 1,620 36 
			 2003-04 0 0 10 24 1,830 38 
			 2004-05 0 0 30 62 2,830 45 
			 2005-06 0 0 40 37 2,910 38 
			 2006-07 10 39 80 34 3,620 34 
			 (1) Not available due to small sample size of less than five.  Source: CORE (Continuous Recording) returns to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) from Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) 
		
	
	CORE data only record data from RSLs with at least 250 units or bedspaces, so the figures above may be underestimates if not all RSLs are included. Also not all CORE data are compulsory for RSLs to complete, and details on whether sales were made to people on LA waiting lists was missing in approximately 20 per cent. of returns.
	Details on whether shared ownership sales were made to people on LA waiting lists was removed from the CORE form in 2007-08, so the figures are only available up to 2006-07.

Temporary Accommodation

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people aged  (a) over 65 and  (b) under 18-years-old have been placed in temporary accommodation in each year since 2004.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level.
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes so.
	The number of households housed in temporary accommodation by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter, is also recorded. This figure consists of those households which have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty; those for which inquiries are pending; those being accommodated for a limited period because they have been found intentionally homeless and in priority need; those being accommodated pending possible referral to another authority; and those being accommodated pending the outcome of a local authority review or county court appeal.
	The temporary accommodation figures are for households, not individuals, and therefore data are not collected centrally by age bands.
	However, figures are collected for the number of dependent children (and expected children) that are included within the households in temporary accommodation. Dependent children comprise all children under 16, and children aged 16 to 18 years old who are in, or about to begin, full-time education or training or for other reasons are unable to support themselves and who live at home. These figures are available for 2007-08 and 2008-09, shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of dependent children (and expected children) in temporary accommodation at the end of each financial year (31 March), from 2007-08 to 2008-09, England 
			   Number of children 
			 2007-08 110,360 
			 2008-09 92,590 
		
	
	We also collect figures for the number of 16 or 17-year-old applicant households in temporary accommodation-i.e. where a 16 or 17-year-old applicant is not a dependent child, has applied for assistance themselves, and they (and their household where applicable) are being housed in temporary accommodation. These figures are also available for 2007-08 and 2008-09, shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 2: 16 or 17-year-old applicant households in temporary accommodation at the end of each financial year (31 March), from 2007-08 to 2008-09, England 
			   Number 
			 2007-08 2,300 
			 2008-09 1,830 
		
	
	Note that the two sets of figures should not be added together, as the former covers individuals and the latter households.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on the use of animal experimentation for scientific advancement; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government's policy on the use of animal experimentation for scientific advancement is clear and straightforward. We believe that the responsible use of animals for experimental and other scientific purposes continues to be essential if improvements in health care and veterinary treatment are to be developed with the minimum of delay and to make proper provision to protect man and the environment from health risks and other hazards.

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with  (a) academic departments practising vivisection and  (b) anti-vivisection organisations to discuss the Government's policy on vivisection.

Alan Campbell: The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Meg Hillier) met People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) earlier in 2009 to discuss aspects of the European Commission proposal for a draft directive for the protection of animals used in scientific procedures to replace Directive 86/609/EEC. My hon. Friend also met the All Party Parliamentary Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) Group to discuss the draft directive. In addition, Home Office officials have met with a wide and representative cross-section of relevant stakeholder groups to discuss its provisions. A public consultation on the proposal closed on 3 July 2009.

Asylum: Bahrain

Ken Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (ii) other Ministerial colleagues and (iii) the UK Border Agency on grounds for granting asylum to Bahraini nationals.

Phil Woolas: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary have had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs or with other ministerial colleagues about grounds for granting asylum to Bahraini nationals. I frequently discuss matters of asylum and immigration policy with officials across a range of Whitehall Departments including the UK Border Agency. It is the policy of the Home Office not to discuss individual asylum cases with third parties.
	Separately, I have engaged directly with the Bahraini Interior Minister to build better understanding on matters of mutual interest, including conveying the fundamental principles of the United Kingdom's international protection obligations.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions an individual  (a) stopped and searched and  (b) arrested on the basis of automatic number plate recognition data was released without charge in each year since 2005.

David Hanson: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Information on the individual circumstances of arrests and stops and searches (including whether automatic number plate recognition was used during the arrest/search) are not reported to the Home Office.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many authorisations were given by senior police officers for access to automatic number plate recognition data in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many police officers have authorised access to automatic number plate recognition data in each year since 2005;
	(3)  how many instances there have been of senior police officers accessing automatic number plate recognition data which had been retained for more than 90 days in each year since 2005;
	(4)  how many automatic number plate recognition records have been permanently deleted in each year since 2005;
	(5)  how many automatic number plate recognition records have been created in each year since 2005.

David Hanson: Information regarding the number of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) records created, accessed to and deleted is not held centrally. ANPR data is collected and stored locally on computer systems that are owned and managed by the individual police force. Chief Police Officers are responsible for the management of this ANPR data, including access to and deletion of records.

Aviation: Personal Records

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of passenger name record data submitted by airlines to the  (a) Semaphore and  (b) e-Borders projects included data relating to (i) place of birth and (ii) date of issue of travel document.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 8 July 2009
	Statistical information on the individual elements of PNR data was not captured under Semaphore, and equally there are no plans to collect these figures as a percentage of the Passenger Name Record (PNR) data collected under e-Borders.
	These data elements would only be transmitted to e-Borders if the carrier were to collect these data for its own commercial purposes.

Borders: Personal Records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intelligence-led checks on people leaving the UK at ports and airports were made by UK Border Agency officers in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2008.

Phil Woolas: Details on the number of intelligence-led checks made on outbound passengers are not routinely recorded.

Crime Prevention

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to tackle  (a) crime and  (b) terrorism.

David Hanson: I have had no discussions recently on the subject of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Crime Prevention: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been provided by his Department to each local authority area identified as a youth crime priority area.

David Hanson: The Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP), published in July 2008, sets out the Government's plans for tackling offending by young people. It is supported by close to £100 million over the three year period from 2008-09 to 2010-11, in addition to the existing investment in children's and youth services, to support local authorities in making inroads into youth crime locally.
	69 local authority areas in England and two in Wales have been identified as priority areas under YCAP. In 2008-09, under YCAP, the 69 local authorities in England each received £65,000 to implement an intensive package of activity set out in YCAP.
	Each of the 69 local authority areas in England will receive £350,000 this financial year (2009-10) and £350,000 in 2010-11 to deliver the intensive package of activity to help reduce youth crime. In addition, the two Welsh areas will receive £175,000 in each of the two years to fund those aspects of the intensive package that are not devolved.
	This year, building on the success of the Home Office enforcement campaign in 2008-09 we will provide funding to the 69 areas to develop a co-ordinated plan of activity to tackle alcohol related youth crime. Areas will be provided with a grant of up to £20,000 (£1.4 million in total) to kick-start activity to begin before the summer and last at least throughout the summer holidays.

Criminal Records Bureau

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have undergone  (a) two,  (b) three,  (c) four and  (c) five or more standard or enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks in the last (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not hold data to show the number of individuals who have been required to apply for more than one Disclosure.
	It is ultimately for each recruiting organisation and not the CRB to decide whether a fresh Disclosure should be applied for. The recruiting organisation, using a full range of pre-recruitment checks, is best placed to assess whether a new Disclosure is required for a specific position, bearing in mind their legal and other responsibilities. Organisations can accept a previously issued Disclosure at their own risk but they must understand the limitations and risks of doing so.
	Guidance can be found on the CRB website at:
	www.crb.gov.uk,
	but the overriding consideration must always be the safety of those whom the Disclosure Service is designed to protect.

Cybercrime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions have been made consequent on investigations by the E-Crime Unit of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Alan Johnson: The mandate of SOCA's e-Crime Department is to reduce the harm caused to the UK by online crime. It is resourced to address the threat of technology-enabled crime, and in particular to degrade criminal capability to
	use the Internet as an operational enabler or means of influence;
	use the Internet to obtain information on serious organised crime in order to improve understanding of how those involved operate;
	use the internet as a tool to assist in the disruption of criminal activity; and
	help our citizens protect themselves from criminal activity on the internet.
	From April 2006 until March 2009 the Serious Organised Crime Agency's e-Crime unit was involved in
	 (a) 22 prosecutions; and
	 (b) 21 convictions.
	Prosecution is however only one of a number of tools available to help achieve harm reduction in line with the Home Secretary's priorities in this area. Resources are directed also to the development of new intervention techniques, to disrupt and deny criminal opportunities worldwide and to work with international partners. Similarly these techniques include work with internet protocol registrars and others involved in regulating the internet and the influencing of future legislation. The aim is not just to pursue the criminals involved, many of whom operate beyond the reach of our courts but also provide long-term solutions for harm reduction on the internet. The SOCA 2008-09 annual report recorded significant operational successes by the e-Crime unit, notably against DarkMarket and the Sumitomo Banking Corporation.
	The Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) was involved over the same period in the investigation of offences of alleged child abuse where technology may have been a factor.

Cybercrime

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made towards ratification of the European Convention on Cybercrime; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government are fully committed to ratifying the Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention. We are currently working through the formal UK process of ratification, during which we will lay the required explanatory memorandum before Parliament to obtain approval for ratification. If Parliament agrees to ratification, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will then commence the formal ratification process with the Council of Europe.
	The Government had hoped to complete this process earlier in the year, but due to extended discussions with the devolved administrations and with legal advisors this has not been possible. We do not believe that further legislation will be necessary before we can proceed. We hope to complete the Parliamentary process shortly.

Departmental Information Officers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to his Department of employing press office staff other than press officers has been in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: Staff employed in the Home Office press office other than press officers include staff in administrative and management roles. The following table which is based on our records provides the costs of these staff each year since 1997.
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 1997-98 258,650 
			 1998-99 191,334 
			 1999-2000(1) 215,431 
			 2000-01 328,688 
			 2001-02 244,309 
			 2002-03 428,276 
			 2003-04 443,509 
			 2004-05 (2)423,061 
			 2005-06 560,715 
			 2006-07 474,324 
			 2007-08 501,390 
			 2008-09 573,322 
			 (1 )Prison Service and Core Home Office Press Offices merged. (2 )Exact costs of management 2004-05 are not available-management costs included here are the same as 2003-04.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have been made to his Department's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Phil Woolas: The Department has made no changes to its  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.
	The Department participates in cross-government collaborative arrangements for office equipment and stationery that include built-in incremental benefits. Additionally, the Department regularly engages with the market to ensure that the objective of value for money is achieved.

Departmental Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on staff training in health and safety procedures in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on health and safety training for its employees in each of the last two years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DNA: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new profiles have been added to the National DNA Database by each police force since 4 December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The figures in Table 1 show the number of subject profiles added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) by forces in England and Wales between 5 December 2008 and 8 July 2009, broken down by police forces.
	The figures in Table 2 show the number of crime scene profiles added to the NDNAD by forces in England and Wales between 5 December 2008 and 8 July 2009, broken down by the police forces.
	The number of subject profiles held on the NDNAD is not the same as the number of individuals. A proportion of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, a profile for a person has been loaded on more then one occasion (this may be because the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests, or because of upgrading of profiles). It is currently estimated that 13.5 per cent. of subject profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. The replication rate of 13.5 per cent. should only be applied over the entire database however, as the replication rate for individual forces varies considerably. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database.
	
		
			  Table 1: Subject profiles added to the NDNAD between 5 December 2008 and 8 July 2009 
			  Force  Number 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,429 
			 Bedfordshire 4,168 
			 British Transport 3,687 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,188 
			 Cheshire 4,292 
			 City of London Police 911 
			 Cleveland 3,219 
			 Cumbria 2,850 
			 Derbyshire 4,436 
			 Devon and Cornwall 7,259 
			 Dorset 2,857 
			 Durham 2,720 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,224 
			 Essex 9,066 
			 Gloucestershire 3,678 
			 Greater Manchester Police 14,255 
			 Gwent 2,466 
			 Hampshire 8,198 
			 Hertfordshire 4,938 
			 Humberside 5,026 
			 Kent 8,739 
			 Lancashire 8,663 
			 Leicestershire 3,532 
			 Lincolnshire 3,557 
			 Merseyside 19,148 
			 Metropolitan Police 50,331 
			 Norfolk 3,030 
			 North Wales 3,597 
			 North Yorkshire 3,468 
			 Northamptonshire 2,787 
			 Northumbria 9,623 
			 Nottinghamshire 6,137 
			 South Wales Constabulary 6,297 
			 South Yorkshire 6,598 
			 Staffordshire 7,516 
			 Suffolk 3,515 
			 Surrey 3,225 
			 Sussex 6,049 
			 Thames Valley 11,502 
			 Warwickshire Police 1,886 
			 West Mercia 4,490 
			 West Midlands 16,169 
			 West Yorkshire 11,516 
			 Wiltshire 3,227 
			   
			 Total 301,469 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Crime scene profiles added to the NDNAD between 5 December 2008 and 8 July 2009 
			  Force  Number 
			 Avon and Somerset 533 
			 Bedfordshire 241 
			 British Transport 303 
			 Cambridgeshire 410 
			 Cheshire 565 
			 City of London Police 26 
			 Cleveland 154 
			 Cumbria 208 
			 Derbyshire 329 
			 Devon and Cornwall 408 
			 Dorset 212 
			 Durham 315 
			 Dyfed-Powys 91 
			 Essex 597 
			 Gloucestershire 191 
			 Greater Manchester Police 2,289 
			 Gwent 266 
			 Hampshire 702 
			 Hertfordshire 419 
			 Humberside 571 
			 Kent 1,484 
			 Lancashire 1,091 
			 Leicestershire 421 
			 Lincolnshire 193 
			 Merseyside 825 
			 Metropolitan Police 4,003 
			 Norfolk 379 
			 North Wales 502 
			 North Yorkshire 169 
			 Northamptonshire 558 
			 Northumbria 835 
			 Nottinghamshire 419 
			 South Wales Constabulary 482 
			 South Yorkshire 662 
			 Staffordshire 618 
			 Suffolk 280 
			 Surrey 458 
			 Sussex 1,091 
			 Thames Valley 1,046 
			 Warwickshire Police 169 
			 West Mercia 462 
			 West Midlands 1,360 
			 West Yorkshire 969 
			 Wiltshire 161 
			   
			 Total 27,467

Drug System Change Pilots

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the budget is for each of the seven drug system change pilots for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11;
	(2)  when he plans to publish details of the independent evaluation process for the seven drug system change pilots.

Alan Campbell: The Drug System Change Pilots programme is not a source of new money for service delivery. The aim of the programme is to improve outcomes for communities and individuals by encouraging partnerships to make better use of existing resources, align the efforts of all partners and key stakeholders, encourage innovation and share best practice, and to identify efficiencies that can come from the pooling of budgets, streamlined communication and information systems.
	Joint funding (£2 million from the Home Office and Department of Health) has been allocated to kickstart the pilots in 2009-10, and to help build capacity by funding the appointment of a project manager and administrative support in those pilot sites which require it.
	A tendering process for the independent evaluation of the programme is currently being undertaken, and it is hoped that this will be completed, and an independent contractor appointed, by September 2009. The intention is that, based on the reports from the contractor and the pilot sites, updates on progress from the Drug System Change Pilots will be made available on a quarterly basis.

Entry Clearances

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many risk assessment officers are  (a) based at the UK Border Agency Abu Dhabi hub and  (b) working on Pakistani visas in Abu Dhabi.

Phil Woolas: Risk and Liaison Overseas Network staff are deployed on a risk assessment basis.

Entry Clearances

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2009,  Official Report, column 455W, on entry clearances, if he will allocate greater resources to the processing of sponsor licences in order to meet the target time.

Phil Woolas: There are currently no plans to allocate more resources to the processing of sponsor licences. The available resources are being targeted to better effect to improve turnaround times.

Entry Clearances: China

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitor visas were issued to Chinese nationals in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Phil Woolas: The number of visit visas issued to Chinese nationals in the calendar years 2007 and 2008 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Chinese nationals  2007  2008 
			 Family visit 19,211 19,138 
			 Other visit 111,116 90,176 
			 Total 130,327 109,314 
			  Note:  These data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional  Source:  Central Reference System.

Entry Clearances: Jamaica

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the electronic processing of emergency visa applications from Jamaica has been suspended; when it will be resumed; and what steps he is taking to ensure that applications for emergency visas from that country can be granted where appropriate.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 June 2009
	There has been no suspension of the processing of any visa applications in Jamaica. Kingston continues to operate a normal visa issuing service.

Entry Clearances: Macedonia

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas from nationals of  (a) Macedonia and  (b) Kosovo were processed at the visa section of the British Embassy in Skopje in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: h olding answer 19 June 2009
	 In the financial year 2008-09, our visa section in Skopje received 3,326 visa applications from nationals of Macedonia, and 3,233 applications from nationals of Kosovo.
	 Note:
	These data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.
	 Source:
	Proviso visa processing system.

Entry Clearances: Nepal

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Nepalese visa legacy cases there were as at 31 May 2009.

Phil Woolas: As at 31 May 2009 there were 1,290 applications made in country for leave to remain where the lead applicant's nationality was given as Nepalese.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Entry Clearances: Russia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitor visas were issued to Russian nationals in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Phil Woolas: The number of visit visas issued to Russian nationals in the calendar years 2007 and 2008 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Russian nationals  2007  2008 
			 Family visit 9,360 8,324 
			 Other visit 116,438 118,374 
			 Total 125,798 126,698 
			  Note: These data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional  Source: Central Reference System

Forensic Science Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he took to inform hon. Members of the recently announced planned changes to the Forensic Science Service prior to the release of information to the media.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 9 July 2009
	I made the announcement of Forensic Science Service (FSS) Transformation plans in a written ministerial statement (WMS) on 8 June 2009,  Official Report, column 22WS and the commencement of the process by the FSS through internal meetings with staff and staff representatives began on the same day. I was aware that Bill Griffiths, the executive chairman of the company, had previously written to, and in some cases spoken to, Members with constituency interests. I also agreed with Bill that he would write to Members on the day of the WMS. This was done. This process was designed so that the statement was made to Parliament first.

Forensic Science: Standards

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to assess the  (a) quality and  (b) adequacy of private forensic science services operating under contract to police forces.

Alan Campbell: The Forensic Science Regulator sets out the quality standards and accreditation that are required for all forensic practitioners, including private forensic laboratory service providers.
	Under the national forensic framework agreement, private forensic providers must comply with the standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator to be eligible to provide forensic services to police forces (in England and Wales). This is a mandatory clause contained within the framework agreement. The current standard requirements include ISO9001 quality management systems, 17025, and where appropriate 17020 compliance for each speciality area of work performed.
	At a national level, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) manages the framework agreement on behalf of the 43 police forces and ensures that these quality standards are held by the participating suppliers and that they are maintained. The private companies themselves undergo annual inspection for compliance with the standards which is carried out by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). UKAS report any failings in compliance to the Forensic Regulator, who then passes relevant information on to the NPIA. If any action is required in terms of contract management, or there has been a breach of contract terms, the NPIA will address this through formal contract management processes with the supplier concerned.
	To monitor the adequacy of any services being performed throughout the life of a forensic services provision contract, key performance indicators (KPIs) have been developed. These KPIs are reviewed at regular intervals.
	This performance monitoring regime also includes regular contract management meetings between the suppliers and the police force and strategic business reviews carried out by the NPIA on behalf of Association of Chief Police Officers.
	The regime is being designed to ensure that the services being provided by the private forensic suppliers are adequate to meet the operational needs of the police force. This also ensures that high quality standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator continue to be complied with, throughout the length of any service contract and for the lifetime of the national forensic framework agreement itself.

Immigration: Somalia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on levels of immigration to the EU from Somalia.

Phil Woolas: There are a number of initiatives concerning migration from Somalia to the EU in which the UK is involved with other EU member states and also the European Commission.
	We supported a proposal by the incoming Swedish presidency of the European Union for a migration specific mission from EU capitals at official level to Kenya with a regional focus on Somalia.
	The UK also leads an EU funded initiative called the 'East Africa Migration Routes Initiative' worth approximately £1 million in 2008 and 2009 which was co-funded by the EU Commission, UK, Malta, Italy and the Netherlands. The initiative included:
	work by UK, Italy and Maltese border authorities to monitor and debrief migrants arriving by sea from Africa in the EU including Somali migrants in 2008;
	an East-Africa wide information campaign by the International Organisation for Migration which informed prospective migrants about the risks of attempting the dangerous journey to the EU; and
	creation of a regional focal point in Djibouti to help co-ordinate migration policies of countries of the region, including Somalia.
	EU Heads of Mission (HOMS) in Nairobi also recently agreed to establish a local taskforce on Somali migration issues that will share information about illegal migration from Somalia and work with Somali authorities to curb irregular migration to the EU.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a privacy impact assessment has been undertaken in relation to the Independent Safeguarding Authority's database.

David Hanson: The Vetting and Barring Scheme programme, which includes establishment of the Independent Safeguarding Authority is being delivered in phases. The programme is currently in its third phase and a privacy impact assessment is scheduled to be completed with the full support and contribution of the Information Commissioner's Office during the remaining three phases of the programme. Some aspects of the privacy impact assessment have been captured in the first round of business impact assessments and the Information Commissioner's Office is aware of this progress.

International Child Sexual Exploitation Image Database

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has allocated to development of the International Child Sexual Exploitation Image database; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office paid £300,000 towards the International Child Sexual Exploitation Image Database (ICSEID) in two instalments of £150,000 in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Life Imprisonment: Prisoner Release

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals on life licence have been  (a) deported and  (b) removed in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly written to Home Affairs Select Committee in order to provide them with all the robust and accurate information available relating to foreign national criminals. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.

Local Government Finance

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which  (a) specific and  (b) area-based grants are distributed to local authorities by each division of his Department;
	(2)  what recent estimate has been made of the annual cost to  (a) his Department of distributing each grant made by it to local authorities and  (b) local authorities of administering each such grant;
	(3)  what  (a) eligibility conditions and  (b) compliance measures are in place in respect of the expenditure by local authorities of each grant distributed by his Department; and what recent estimate has been made of the annual cost to his Department of monitoring the compliance by local authorities with such measures in respect of each such grant.

Phil Woolas: The introduction of the Area Based Grant has reduced ring-fencing, giving councils increased flexibility to manage their budgets. Alongside this, the new local performance framework has provided a simplified and more effective structure for priority setting and performance measurement.
	The following specific revenue grants are being paid by this Department direct to local authorities in 2009-10:
	
		
			  Grant stream  Budget 2009-10 (£ million) 
			 Adult Facing Chronic Exclusion 0.75 
			 Alcohol Arrest Referral Pilots 1.60 
			 Priority Areas 1.50 
			 Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Grants 4.22 
			 National Support Framework 1.40 
			 Youth Crime Action Plan Initiatives 10.00 
			 Local Funding for Domestic/Sexual Violence 2.10 
			 Drug Intervention Programme 87.85 
			 Community Justice Panel 0.04 
			 Positive Futures 2.18 
			 Protect: Crowded Places 1.00 
			 Prevent: Identification and Referral 0.62 
			 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) 127.00 
			 UASC Leaving Care Costs Grants 17.20 
		
	
	Area Based Grant is paid by Communities and Local Government on behalf of the Government as a whole, in monthly instalments. Funding streams from this Department which are being paid through Area Based Grant in 2009-10 are:
	
		
			  Grant stream  Budget 2009-10 (£ million) 
			 Safer Stronger Communities Fund-Resource 61.15 
			 Young People Substance Misuse Partnership 15.39 
		
	
	The Department does not routinely estimate the costs of distributing grant each year.
	As Area Based Grant is not ring-fenced, it comes with no specific conditions or compliance requirements.
	Eligibility conditions and compliance measures vary with each specific revenue grant and, given the number of grants provided to local authorities, it is not cost effective to detail the criteria of all grants awarded. A standard criterion in place for all grants is that work delivers against Home Office PSA targets.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he plans to reply to the letter to his predecessor of 14 May 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Tariq Mahmood Butt.
	(2)  when he plans to reply to the letter to his predecessor of 11 May 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Haig;
	(3)  when he plans to reply to the letter to his predecessor of 18 May 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Muhamad Imran Khan;
	(4)  when he plans to reply to the letter to his predecessor of 24 April 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Amjad Khan;

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 July 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a response will be provided to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood's inquiry of 4 March 2009 on Zahir Omar Ahmed, HO Ref A1166882.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency responded to my right hon. Friend by e-mail on 27 March 2009. A duplicate response was issued on 6 July 2009.

Police Community Support Officers: Protective Clothing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with chief constables on the issuing of stab-proof vests for police community support officers.

David Hanson: There have been no further discussions with chief constables on the subject of body armour for PCSOs since the exchange of correspondence referenced in my answer to my hon. Friend on 26 June 2009,  Official Report, column 1206W.

Police: Absenteeism

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rate of  (a) absence and  (b) absence resulting from injury at work was among Hertfordshire Constabulary employees in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The detailed absence figures requested are not collected annually.
	Figures on sickness absence for the past five financial years are published on the Home Office website at the following link:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance-and-measurement/performance-assessment/
	Information on the cost of such absences is not held centrally.

Police: Complaints

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made about police actions at the camp for climate change at the Kingsnorth Power Station; and how many related to specific officers.

David Hanson: holding answer 9 July 2009
	I am informed by the chief constable of Kent police that in relation to the camp for climate change at Kingsnorth 35 complaints about the conduct of a person serving with the police have been recorded under the Police Reform Act 2002. An additional 49 complaints were made about the direction and control of the event. No officers are the subject of multiple complaints.

Police: Cycling

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is on the use of  (a) bicycles and  (b) electrically-assisted bicycles by (i) police officers and (ii) police community support officers in performing their duties.

David Hanson: The use of bicycles and/or electronically assisted bicycles is a matter for the operational discretion of individual force chief officers and the Home Office does not issue any policy or guidance in respect of this.

Police: Dogs

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to police forces on the issue of anti-stab vests for police dogs.

David Hanson: Neither the Home Office nor the Association of Chief Police Officers have issued guidance to forces on the issue of anti-stab vests for police dogs.

Police: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers (PCSOs) were assigned to duties in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in the latest period for which figures are available; how many police officers were assigned to duties in each of those areas in 1997; and how many PCSOs were assigned to duties in each of those areas in 2003.

David Hanson: There were 3,410 police officers in the Essex Police as at 30 September 2008 and 2,961 as at 31 March 1997. These figures exclude officers on career break or maternity/paternity leave.
	There were 437 police community support officers as at 30 September 2008 and 10 as at 31 March 2003. Police community support officers were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03.
	All figures are given as full-time equivalents.
	Police personnel data by parliamentary constituency are not collected centrally.

Police: Protective Clothing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will require police forces to submit to him an annual risk assessment form in respect of their body armour policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: holding answer 9 July 2009
	There are currently no plans to require police forces to submit an annual risk assessment concerning their body armour policy. The management of health and safety and related services provided for police officers and police staff is the responsibility of the individual chief officer and police authority.

Police: Tetra

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects on the health of police officers from radiation emissions from Tetra handsets issued to police forces.

David Hanson: Since the roll out of Airwave radio began in 2001, the Government have made a considerable investment into research into the safety of the Tetra technology. None of the research to date has produced any evidence that Airwave is harmful to health.
	All Airwave terminals comply fully with international safety standards and exposure levels are typically lower than those of the analogue terminals that they replaced.

Police: Uniforms

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which manufacturers have been accredited by his Department's Scientific Development Branch to supply stab-proof vests for use by  (a) police community support officers and  (b) police officers in police forces in England and Wales.

David Hanson: holding answer 7 July 2009
	The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) maintains an online database detailing all approved models of armour, from various manufacturers, tested according the HOSDB body armour standards for UK police 2007. The database can be viewed on the HOSDB website.
	The HOSDB body armour standards do not differentiate between armour suitable for PCSOs or other police officers. The level of protection selected, and who the armour is issued to, are decisions made by the police force concerned based on the forces' risk and threat assessments.

Police: Vehicles

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police vehicles have been damaged by the vehicle of a suspect during attempts to apprehend the suspect in each police force area in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Statistics on the number of police vehicles damaged by the vehicle of a suspect during attempts to apprehend the suspect are not collected centrally.

Right of Abode: European Economic Area

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what obligations set at EU level his Department has in relation the time taken to process applications for EEA residence permits.

Phil Woolas: Under EEA legislation member states are required to issue registration certificates immediately, and residence cards and documents certifying permanent residence no later than six months after an application with the required documents is submitted.

UK Border Agency

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the areas for which regional directors and regional offices of the UK Border Agency are responsible are the same as the areas designated as Government Office regions.

Phil Woolas: UK Border Agency regions do not correspond directly with Government Office regions. In a number of areas a UKBA region will cover more than one Government Office region. A list of UKBA regional directors and the areas that they are responsible for can be found at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/organisation/structure/

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for a reply to be sent from the UK Border Agency to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North dated 27 May 2009, reference M12740/9.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 7 July 2009
	The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 8 July 2009.

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many airport liaison officers are employed by the UK Border Agency; and what their average annual salary is.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 41W.

UK Border Agency: Training

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) training leading to a formal qualification and  (b) other training is offered to UK Border Agency staff who make decisions on asylum claims.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 9 July 2009
	The information is as follows:
	 (a) The training does not presently lead to any formal qualification.
	 (b) Asylum caseowners in the UK Border Agency receive comprehensive learning and development in all aspects of their role of owning cases from end to end of the asylum process. Although the course does not currently lead to a qualification, the Agency is now well-advanced in securing accreditation for it and hopes to have this in place by the end of the year.

HEALTH

Abortion Act 1967

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new files on the Abortion Act 1967 have been created by his Department since January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The information is shown in the following table. File names have been amended to remove identifying information in order to protect the Government policy making process and also private individuals.
	
		
			  Prefix  Title 
			 CPO 2/36 Miscellaneous Parliamentary Matters 
			 CPO 4/34 Future Regulation Of Top Establishments Under The Care Quality Commission 
			 CPO 5/2/7 2007 Abortion Statistics Bulletin 
			 CPO 5/2/8 2008 Abortion Statistics Bulletin 
			 CPO 10/50 ICO (name withheld) Case 
			 CPO 12/28 RCOG: Working Party On Termination Of Pregnancy For Fetal Abnormality 
			 CPO 12/29 RCOG: Working Party On Fetal Awareness 
			 CPO 14/39 Smoking In Pregnancy Campaign: Scan Creative Concept 
			 CPO 14/41 (Name withheld)

Abortion Act 1967

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents he has published since 1997 consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Since 1997, the Department has published, or funded the publication of, the following statutory instruments, departmental circulars and documents on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.
	 Statutory instruments
	The Abortion (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2002
	The Abortion (Amendment) Regulations 2008
	 Departmental circulars
	Letter from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) about the completion of the abortion notification forms (HSA4) (1998)
	Letter on the consultation on changes to the HSA4 form (2000)
	Letter from the CMO about changes to the abortion notification form (2002)
	Letter from the CMO following the publication of his report An Investigation into the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Response to Requests for Late Abortions (2005).
	 Other documents
	 Documents issued by the Department of Health
	Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy (1999)
	Procedures for the Registration of Pregnancy Advice Bureaux (1999)
	The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV (2001)
	The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV Implementation Action Plan (2002)
	Conscious Sedation in Termination of Pregnancy: Report of the Department of Health Expert Group (2002)
	Independent Health Care National Minimum Standards and Regulations (2002)
	Effective Commissioning of Sexual Health and HIV Services, A Sexual Health and HIV Commissioning Toolkit for Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities (2003)
	Government Response to the Health Select Committee's Third Report of Session 2002-03 on Sexual Health (2003)
	An Investigation into the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Response to Requests for Late Abortions, A report by the Chief Medical Officer (2005)
	Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill (2005)
	Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Termination of Pregnancy Bill (2007)
	Government Response to the Report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on the Scientific Developments Relating to the Abortion Act 1967 (2007)
	Evaluation of Early Medical Abortion (EMA) Pilot Sites (2008)
	 Documents funded by the Department of Health
	The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) (2000 and 2004)
	National Audit of Induced Abortion 2000, RCOG (2001)
	Recommended Standards for Sexual Health Services, Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health (2005)

Accident and Emergency Departments: Alcoholic Drinks

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each age group attended accident and emergency departments for treatment of symptoms associated with alcohol consumption in each NHS hospital trust area within the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Admissions: Young People

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions of persons aged  (a) under 16 years and  (b) 16 years and over there were with a primary or secondary diagnosis relating to attack by an animal in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Count of hospital admissions by age group for 'injuries caused by animals': Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Age group  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 Under 16 1,828 2,038 1,857 1,872 1,746 
			 16 and over 7,465 7,381 6,377 5,701 5,142 
			 Unknown 2 3 1 - 2 
			 Total 9,295 9,422 8,235 7,573 6,890 
			  Notes:  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Data quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Cause code The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. The field within HES counts only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode. The codes used are: W53, W54, W55, W57, W58. and W59.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Alcoholic Drinks

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average amount of alcohol consumed by an individual in each of the last 30 years.

Gillian Merron: Data on the average amount of alcohol purchased by an individual are collected by HM Revenue and Customs. Data are available for the years 1986-87 to 2007-08 and are given in the following table. It is important to note that not all alcohol purchased is consumed by the individual that purchased it.
	
		
			  Amount of alcohol purchased per adult( 1) 
			   Total alcohol purchased (litre of pure alcohol per adult)  Total alcohol purchased (units per adult) 
			 1986-87 9.53 953 
			 1987-88 9.94 994 
			 1988-89 9.99 999 
			 1989-90 9.96 996 
			 1990-91 10.01 1,001 
			 1991-92 9.65 965 
			 1992-93 9.45 945 
			 1993-94 9.41 941 
			 1994-95 9.70 970 
			 1995-96 9.75 975 
			 1996-97 9.97 997 
			 1997-98 10.14 1,014 
			 1998-99 10.16 1,016 
			 1999-2000 10.78 1,078 
			 2000-01 10.56 1,056 
			 2001-02 11.09 1,109 
			 2002-03 11.46 1,146 
			 2003-04 11.70 1,170 
			 2004-05 11.78 1,178 
			 2005-06 11.54 1,154 
			 2006-07 11.39 1,139 
			 2007-08 11.53 1,153 
			 (1 )Adult equals aged 16 and over from the Population Trends Spring 2008, published by the Office for National Statistics. Purchase of pure alcohol is calculated using estimated average strengths for wine, beer and cider.   Source:  HM Revenue and Customs, Alcohol Factsheet, July 2008.

Ambulances

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many county towns in England do not have an ambulance control centre within their boundaries;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of the ambulance control centres in Brierley Hill and Stafford;
	(3)  what qualifications ambulance control centre telephone operators need to perform their duties;
	(4)  what his Department's policy is on ambulance crews operating in areas in which they are not based.

Mike O'Brien: The location, organisation and operation of control centres and training requirements for control centre staff are for national health service ambulance trusts to manage locally. Information on numbers and efficiency of control centres and on staff qualifications is therefore not collected centrally.
	It is also for NHS ambulance trusts locally to manage the deployment of staff across the trust. Cross-border arrangements between neighbouring trusts may also be agreed which may lead to some crews attending incidents outside the boundaries of the trust, where appropriate.

Arthritis

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the management by multi-disciplinary teams of  (a) rheumatoid arthritis,  (b) ankylosing spondylitis and  (c) psoriatic arthritis.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the management by multi-disciplinary teams for these conditions.

Arthritis

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are being managed by multi-disciplinary teams; and what percentage of primary care trusts are managing all their rheumatoid arthritis patients by multi-disciplinary teams throughout their care;
	(2)  which primary care trusts do not review new patients presenting with rheumatoid arthritis using a multi-disciplinary team;
	(3)  what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of hospitals able to provide patients suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis with access to a multi-disciplinary assessment  (a) on first referral,  (b) on subsequent admission and  (c) throughout their care.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis being managed by multi-disciplinary teams, and the proportion of primary care trusts providing new or existing patients with access to such teams, is not collected centrally.

Blood: Contamination

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many haemophiliacs known to have been infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products are still alive; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The 2008 United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctor's Organisation Annual Report shows that a total of 4,168 patients with haemophilia A and haemophilia B, have been exposed to hepatitis C, based on historical clotting factor concentrate exposure. Of these, 2,535 were alive at the end of 2007, which are the latest figures available.

Blood: Contamination

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many legal waivers his Department holds which were signed by registrants of the MacFarlane Trust indemnifying the Government against further litigation; if he will publish these documents; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Department holds 239 legal waivers which were signed by registrants of the Macfarlane Trust. These documents hold personal information which the Department is not able to release.

Blood: Contamination

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the ELISA test for hepatitis C antibodies in blood was first used by the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Enzyme Linked ImmunoAssay (ELISA) tests for antibodies to hepatitis C virus for diagnostic and blood screening purposes were introduced over a period between 1990 and 1991. There was no single date of introduction throughout the national health service.

Carers: Telephone Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints his Department has received in relation to the Carers Direct Helpline since it was established.

Phil Hope: Since the commencement of Carers Direct Helpline on 1 April 2009, it has received one complaint.

CJD

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the average  (a) annual and  (b) total lifetime cost to the NHS of a patient diagnosed with vCJD; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The average total cost to the national health service of patients diagnosed with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is estimated at £40,000. The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit reports the median duration of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from the onset of first symptoms to death as 14 months.

Crohn's Disease

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Crohn's disease were recorded in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of cases of Crohn's disease is not collected.

Dental Services

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for  (a) initial orthodontic assessment and  (b) subsequent orthodontic treatment was in (i) South Tyneside, (ii) the North East and (iii) England in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for orthodontic treatment provided in primary care.
	Information is available for part of the period requested from which average hospital waiting times from referral to first outpatient appointment and from decision to hospital admission (both day case and in-patient) can be provided.
	This information available covers the period up to and including Quarter 2 2007-08. From Quarter 3 2007-08 this data collection no longer broke waits down by speciality. The information available is held by primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) area and is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Median orthodontic speciality out-patient waiting time for first out-patient appointment 
			  Weeks 
			   Month ending 
			  Area  March 2005  March 2006  March 2007  September 2007 
			 England 5.1 3.9 4.2 3.9 
			 North East SHA 5.4 5.6 4.4 4.5 
			 South Tyneside PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  Source:  Department of Health Waiting List Collections QM08R and MMRCOM 
		
	
	
		
			  Median orthodontic specialty in-patient waiting time for elective admission 
			  Weeks 
			   Month ending 
			  Area  March 2003  March 2004  March 2005  March 2006  March 2007  September 2007 
			 England 11.2 9.2 8.9 6.8 4.0 5.8 
			 North East SHA 8.0 8.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 South Tyneside PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time.  2. Figures shown are for those recorded under the orthodontic speciality.  3. Out-patient waiting times are measured from referral by the dentist to first out-patient appointment to the consultant. The data are based on a snapshot in time, and so will include some patients who were yet to see a consultant.  4. In-patient waiting times are measured from the decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital.  5. The last time these data were collected was for the period ending September 2007.  6. Time bands for all specialties were only collected from 2004-05 onwards for out-patients so average waiting first out-patient times are available only from this point forward.  7. Where n/a, no orthodontic waiters were declared for the time periods specified or there were very low numbers.  8. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are estimates of the position on average waits.  9. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data.   Source:  Department of Health Waiting List Collections QF01 and MMRCOM. 
		
	
	From 1 January 2009, no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner or dentist to start of their consultant-led treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait longer. The 18 weeks commitment covers pathways that involve or might involve consultant-led care, including orthodontics, which is now recorded under the oral surgery speciality.
	Latest data show that since January 2009, the national health service has been delivering the operating standards for 18 weeks to ensure that no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to the start of their consultant-led treatment, unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait longer.

Dental Services

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much of his Department's spending on NHS dentistry has been allocated to front-line services since April 2006;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on the new contract for NHS dentistry and associated policy changes in each year since April 2006.

Ann Keen: The Department has allocated the following total sums to primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities to fund primary dental care services. These allocations were net of any income from national health service dental charges collected from patients, which is retained by the relevant local PCT as an additional resource.
	
		
			  Primary dental care service allocations, England 
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2006-07 1,764.7 
			 2007-08 1,872.4 
			 2008-09 2,081 
			 2009-10 2,257 
		
	
	Departmental staff to monitor NHS dental services and review policy were provided from within existing departmental resources. The following table sets out estimated expenditure levels from centrally managed programme funds on additional and external services to support the commissioning and development of dental services and oral health measures in each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2006-07 2.2 
			 2007-08 2.5 
			 2008-09 2.7

Dental Services: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of NHS dentistry in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to assess local need and demand for national health services dental services and commission the appropriate services.
	All 10 strategic health authorities have set themselves the aim of providing access to NHS dentistry for all who seek it by March 2011 at the latest.
	We are supporting PCTs to meet this aim with extra resources-an 11 per cent. uplift in our dental funding allocations for 2008-09, and a further 8.5 per cent. uplift in total funds for 2009-10, which takes the total available for dental allocations to £2,257 million (net of patient charge income).
	We have also set up an expanded national dental access programme, headed by Dr. Mike Warburton an experienced clinician and manager, to support managers and clinicians to rapidly expand services where needed.
	The report of the Independent Review of Dentistry in England, published on 22 June recommends a series of further actions to support access and quality. Piloting of the recommendations will begin from this autumn. A copy of the report has already been placed in the Library.

Dental Services: North Yorkshire

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists there were with open national health service contracts in the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust area at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The numbers of dentists with national health service activity during the years ending 31 March 2007 and 2008 are available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007-08 report. Information is provided by strategic health authority and by primary care trust. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the Information Centre for health and social care at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	These figures relate to headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
	Figures for the year ending 31 March 2009 are due to published by the Information Centre for health and social care on 19 August 2009.

Dental Services: Waiting Lists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for  (a) initial orthodontic assessment and  (b) subsequent orthodontic treatment was in (i) Hemel Hempstead, (ii) Dacorum, (iii) Hertfordshire, (iv) the South East and (v) England in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for orthodontic treatment provided in primary care.
	Information is available for part of the period requested from which average hospital waiting times from referral to first out-patient appointment and from decision to hospital admission (both day case and in-patient) can be provided.
	This information available covers the period up to and including quarter 2 2007-08. From quarter 3 2007-08 this data collection no longer broke waits down by speciality. The information available is held by primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) area and is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Median orthodontic speciality out-patient waiting time for first out-patient appointment 
			  Weeks 
			   Month ending 
			  Area  March 2005  March 2006  March 2007  September 2007 
			 England 5.1 3.9 4.2 3.9 
			 East of England SHA 5.1 4.6 3.9 3.1 
			 Hertsmere PCT n/a n/a - - 
			 Watford and Three Rivers PCT n/a n/a - - 
			 Dacorum PCT n/a n/a - - 
			 St. Albans and Harpenden PCT n/a n/a - - 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT - - n/a n/a 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time. Hertsmere, Watford and Three Rivers, Dacorum and St. Albans PCTs were combined to form West Hertfordshire PCT on 1 October 2006. For the time periods where an organisation was not in existence, - has been entered into the table. 2. Figures shown are for those recorded under the orthodontic speciality. 3. Out-patient waiting times are measured from referral by the dentist to first out-patient appointment to the consultant. The data are based on a snapshot in time, and so will include some patients who were yet to see a consultant. 4. In-patient waiting times are measured from the decision by the consultant to admit to admission to hospital. 5. The last time these data were collected was for the period ending September 2007. 6. Time bands for all specialties were only collected from 2004-05 onwards for out-patients so average waiting first out-patient times are only available from this point forward. 7. Where n/a, no orthodontic waiters were declared for the time periods specified or there were very low numbers. 8. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are estimates of the position on average waits. 9. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data.  Source: Department of Health Waiting List Collections QM08R and MMRCOM. 
		
	
	
		
			  Median orthodontic speciality in-patient waiting time for elective admission 
			  Weeks 
			   Month ending 
			  Area  March 2003  March 2004  March 2005  March 2006  March 2007  September 2007 
			 England 11.2 9.2 8.9 6.8 4.0 5.8 
			 East of England SHA 25.1 14.6 11.1 9.1 3.6 5.7 
			 Hertsmere PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 Watford and Three Rivers PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 Dacorum PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 St. Albans and Harpenden PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT - - - - n/a n/a 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time. Hertsmere, Watford and Three Rivers, Dacorum and St. Albans PCTs were combined to form West Hertfordshire PCT on 1 October 2006. For the time periods where an organisation was not in existence, - has been entered into the table. 2. Figures shown are for those recorded under the orthodontic speciality. 3. Out-patient waiting times are measured from referral by the dentist to first out-patient appointment to the consultant. The data are based on a snapshot in time, and so will include some patients who were yet to see a consultant. 4. In-patient waiting times are measured from the decision by the consultant to admit to admission to hospital. 5. The last time these data were collected was for the period ending September 2007. 6. Time bands for all specialties were only collected from 2004-05 onwards for out-patients so average waiting first out-patient times are only available from this point forward. 7. Where n/a, no orthodontic waiters were declared for the time periods specified or there were very low numbers. 8. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are estimates of the position on average waits. 9. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data.  Source: Department of Health Waiting List Collections QF01 and MMRCOM. 
		
	
	From 1 January 2009, no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner or dentist to start of their consultant-led treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait longer. The 18 weeks commitment covers pathways that involve or might involve consultant-led care, including orthodontics, which is now recorded under the oral surgery speciality.
	Latest data show that since January 2009, the NHS has been delivering the operating standards for 18 weeks to ensure that no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to the start of their consultant-led treatment, unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait longer.

Dental Services: Waiting Lists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were waiting for orthodontic treatment in  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Dacorum,  (c) Hertfordshire,  (d) the South East and  (e) England in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for national health service orthodontic treatment provided in primary care.
	From 1 January 2009, no one should wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner or dentist to the start of their consultant-led treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so, or they choose to wait longer.
	The 18 weeks commitment covers pathways that involve or might involve consultant-led care. Referral to treatment (RTT) data collection monitors the length of time from referral through to treatment and is used to measure performance against the 18 weeks operational standard.
	Information is collected on the total number of incomplete RTT pathways, for oral surgery, which includes orthodontic treatment. These data look at patients who have entered a RTT pathway but whose treatment had not yet started. Data are available from August 2007. Information is not available in the format requested, however, the following table sets data for East and North Hertfordshire PCT, West Hertfordshire primary care trust (PCT), East of England strategic health authority (SHA) and England.
	
		
			  Oral surgery, total number of incomplete RTT pathways 
			   East and North Hertfordshire PCT  West Hertfordshire PCT  East of England SHA  England 
			 August 2007 1,268 757 16,906 152,302 
			 April 2008 1,473 2,601 15,879 121,032 
			 April 2009 1,062 1,530 11,779 111,188 
			  Note: Data on incomplete pathways are only available from August 2007 onwards.

Depressive Illnesses

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England,  (c) Essex and  (d) Castle Point have been diagnosed with (i) major depression, (ii) atypical depression (iii) psychotic depression, (iv) dysthymia and (v) manic depression in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: This information is not available. Most treatment for mental health problems including depressive illnesses occurs in primary care settings, where information on the number of patients treated for specific conditions is not collected.
	Approximately one in six adults in England has a common mental illness, including dysthymia, at any given time, with one in four adults experiencing mental ill heath at some stage in their lives. Approximately one in 100 people are thought to have a more severe mental illness, including psychotic or bipolar (manic) depressive conditions.

Dietary Supplements: EC Law

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that candidates shortlisted for the post of Chair of the Food Standards Agency are aware of the implications of implementation of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; and what plans he has to consult the official Opposition on the appointment of the Chair.

Gillian Merron: As is customary, the candidate that was recommended for pre-appointment scrutiny by Ministers was given a factual briefing by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the organisation and the topical issues it was facing, including food supplements. The successful candidate will receive a full induction on taking up the position, including on the issues associated with the Food Supplements Directive.
	The position of Chair of the FSA is appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for Health and the Health Ministers in the devolved Administrations. Following a full recruitment process, run by the Appointments Commission in accordance with the Commissioner's Code of Practice for Public Appointments, Ministers considered the selection panel's recommendations and agreed Lord Rooker as the preferred candidate.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State invited the House of Commons Health Committee to scrutinise the preferred candidate prior to appointment. The Committee invited Lord Rooker to give evidence on 6 July 2009, following which they recommended that the Secretary of State continue with the appointment. Lord Rooker was confirmed as the new Chair of the FSA on 10 July and will take up his position on 27 July 2009, for a period of four years.
	The appointment has been run jointly with the devolved Administrations as required by the Food Standards Act. As is customary, there are no plans to consult with Her Majesty's official Opposition outside of the pre-appointment scrutiny process.
	The appointment process had involved an independent assessor at all stages, including the shortlist and interview panel.

Domestic Visits: Norwich

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last made an official visit to Norwich; and when he next plans to make such a visit.

Phil Hope: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State or his predecessor my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle (Alan Johnson) has made an official visit to Norwich.
	At the present time, there are not any confirmed visits to the area by the Secretary of State.

Epilepsy: Drugs

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what cost-benefit analysis his Department has undertaken of the effects of implementation of its proposal for the generic substitution of branded anti-epilepsy drugs;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of NHS patients likely to be affected by implementation of proposals for the generic substitution of branded anti-epileptic drugs;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the potential for savings to accrue to the NHS from the implementation of proposals for the generic substitution of branded anti-epileptic drugs.

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether there are any defined exclusions from his proposals for generic substitution of medicines;
	(2)  whether there will be an exemption for epilepsy under the proposals for generic substitution of medicines; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether his Department has assessed the views of leading clinicians operating in the field of epilepsy on the clinical impact of generic substitution of medicines on people with epilepsy;
	(4)  whether his Department has had discussions with epilepsy patient groups on patient concerns about automatic generic substitution of medicines in epilepsy.

Mike O'Brien: Patient safety will be paramount in taking forward the work on generic substitution. It has long been the Department's policy to encourage generic prescribing where possible, for reasons of good professional practice and because of the opportunities for more effective use of national health service resources. However, we have always recognised that there are circumstances in which it may be clinically appropriate to prescribe a particular brand of drug even where a generic is available if the prescriber considers it essential for the patient to receive that specific product. This position will need to be maintained under any new specific proposals made as part of the work on generic substitution.
	In addition, as stated in the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) of December 2008, in implementing generic substitution, provision may also be made to exclude certain categories of medicines for clinical reasons in the interests of patient safety. No decisions have yet been made on whether any medicines and, if so, which should be excluded from the arrangements.
	The detail of implementing the PPRS generic substitution provision is still being considered. No cost-benefit analysis, estimation of possible numbers of patients affected by or potential savings from the implementation of generic substitution in relation to anti-epileptic drugs have been made.
	A number of patient representative groups, such as those representing epilepsy sufferers, have written to the Department expressing their concerns on the implementation of generic substitution. Whilst we have not yet met with any such groups, nor with clinicians operating in the field of epilepsy, we want to make sure we engage with all stakeholders in the best way possible and are currently considering how best to do so.

Eyesight: Testing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in York have received free eye tests since they were re-introduced.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Patients aged 60 and over became eligible for national health service sight tests on 1 April 1999.
	The numbers of NHS sight test claims processed for persons aged 60 and over in the former North Yorkshire Health Authority (HA), the former York and Selby Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the North Yorkshire and York PCT in the relevant financial years are shown in the following table.
	The three columns in the table represent each organisation in place that included York over the relevant time period. The geographical areas covered by each organisation listed vary in size which makes it impossible to have a comparable time series over the full period.
	The Information Centre for health and social care is due to publish information for 2008-09 on 19 August 2009.
	
		
			  General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) NHS sight tests for persons aged 60 and over in the specified organisations 
			   North Yorkshire HA  York and Selby PCT  North Yorkshire and York PCT 
			 1999-2000 52,072 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 61,787 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 68,855 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 70,278 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 n/a 26,254 n/a 
			 2004-05 n/a 26,619 n/a 
			 2005-06 n/a 25,057 n/a 
			 2006-07 n/a n/a (1)- 
			 2007-08 n/a n/a 88,428 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) Validated information at a PCT level is not available for 2006-07.  Notes: 1. Patients may qualify for an NHS sight test on more than one criterion. However, they would only be recorded against one criterion on the form. Patients are more likely to be recorded according to their clinical need rather than their age. For example, a patient aged over 60, with glaucoma, is likely to be recorded in the glaucoma category only. The count by eligibility is therefore approximate. 2. The figures relate to the number of NHS sight tests and are not a count of individuals.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care

Fibromyalgia

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the provision of services for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia; and whether he plans to review that policy.

Ann Keen: People living with fibromyalgia have access to the full range of health and social care from the national health service, including access to pain management services. We have no plans to review this policy.
	We have published an 18-week pathway to support those commissioning pain management services. The pathway is specifically aimed at supporting local implementation of good practice, to improve efficiency, reduce delays, and improve quality of service provision in a safe and effective way.
	It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to commission specific services for people with fibromyalgia, taking into account the resources they have available, the needs of their wider population, and available guidance on best practice.

Health Professionals: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses and  (b) doctors were employed in (i) the North East, (ii) the Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not held in the format requested. However, information on the number of nurses and doctor in the North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area and related organisations is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  North East SHA area 
			 Medical and dental staff 60,230 62,140 63,994 66,067 68,484 72,168 76,400 82,951 87,043 90,243 91,790 95,942 
			 General Practitioners (GPs) 1,485 1,506 1,520 1,536 1,603 1,645 1,741 1,825 1,873 1,995 1,945 1,986 
			 Hospital and community health service (HCHS) nurses 17,791 18,079 18,870 19,125 20,035 20,473 20,991 22,065 22,291 22,220 22,296 22,937 
			 GP Practice nurses 807 954 1,002 881 942 1,031 1,117 1,124 1,064 1,167 1,123 1,099 
			  
			  South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 Medical and dental staff 526 552 570 567 606 596 624 653 707 741 770 785 
			 HCHS nurses 2,077 2,134 2,155 2,198 2,262 2,127 2,296 2,334 2,283 2,325 2,300 2,369 
			  Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) 
			 Medical and dental staff n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 14 14 8 5 12 11 1 
			 GPs n/a n/a n/a n/a 117 119 122 124 123 98 102 98 
			 HCHS nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 229 252 252 258 257 205 10 
			 GP Practice nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a 80 89 83 96 116 92 78 71 
			  
			  Redcar and Cleveland PCT 
			 Medical and dental staff n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 1 0 1 0 9 11 
			 GPs n/a n/a n/a n/a 62 61 65 68 73 94 96 95 
			 HCHS nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 184 175 191 201 213 184 429 
			 GP Practice nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a 36 36 43 45 53 67 70 71 
			 n/a = Not available. We cannot accurately map figures for PCT predecessor organisations.  Notes: 1. Headcount practice nurse figures were estimated for these years for the whole of England, using a standard nation-wide headcount to full-time equivalent ratio. These two years must be treated with caution in a local level time series such as this. 2. Practice nurse data as at 1 October 1997-1999 and 30 September 2000-08. 3. In 2002, South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust merged to form South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust. Figures prior to 2002 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations. 4. In 2006, Langbaurgh PCT became Redcar and Cleveland PCT.

Health Services: Finance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department paid through the  (a) MacFarlane Trust,  (b) Skipton Fund and  (c) Eileen Trust in each year of their operation; to how many individuals payments have been made through each fund; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The details of the funding since 1990 for the Macfarlane Trust, Skipton Fund and Eileen Trust are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Macfarlane Trust, Skipton Fund and Eileen Trust: Funding by the Department of Health 
			  £000 
			  Year ending  31 March  Macfarlane Trust  Skipton Fund  Eileen Trust( 1) 
			 1990 100 0 0 
			 1991 130 0 0 
			 1992 136 0 0 
			 1993 5,165 0 0 
			 1994 158 0 525 
			 1995 166 0 23 
			 1996 2,662 0 23 
			 1997 173 0 22 
			 1998 3,177 0 23 
			 1999 181 0 23 
			 2000 2,187 0 157 
			 2001 2,693 0 25 
			 2002 2,448 0 606 
			 2003 284 0 74 
			 2004 3,469 0 33 
			 2005 3,287 (2)70,147 166 
			 2006 3,778 14,000 80 
			 2007 3,754 7,000 177 
			 2008 3,754 6,400 178 
			 2009 3,754 5,000 178 
			 (1) These are approximate amounts for each year that have been provided by the Administrator of the Eileen Trust. (2) Includes funding for the month of March 2004.  Notes: 1. Funding to all three organisations covers both payments to beneficiaries and administration costs. 2. It is not possible to provide separate figures in relation to haemophiliacs, and their dependants. 
		
	
	The details of the total number of individual payments that have been made by the Macfarlane Trust, Skipton Fund and Eileen Trust are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Macfarlane Trust, Skipton Fund and Eileen Trust: Total number of individuals payments that have been made by each fund( 1) 
			   Number of individuals payments 
			 Macfarlane Trust (2)14,682 
			 Skipton Fund 4,807 
			 Eileen Trust (3)- 
			 (1) Information provided by the Administrators of each body. (2) Individual payments made to infected registrants and non-infected beneficiaries. (3) This information is not available as requested. In total the trust has made payments to fewer than 100 people. In the year to 31 March 2008 the Eileen Trust provided assistance to 23 beneficiaries. We believe that the trust assisted 22 beneficiaries in the year to 31 March 2009.

Health Services: North Yorkshire

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what revenue allocations were made to each primary care trust in North Yorkshire in each year since 2003-04.

Ann Keen: The revenue allocations made to each primary care trust in North Yorkshire for the period 2003-04 to 2010-11 are provided in the following tables:
	
		
			  Table 1: 2003-04 to 2005-06 primary care trust revenue allocations 
			   Allocation (£ 000 )  Three year increase 
			  Primary  Care Trust  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  £000  Percentage 
			 Craven, Harrogate and rural district 166,668 181,585 197,111 43,216 28.1 
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire 91,187 99,349 107,843 23,644 28.1 
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale 138,792 152,118 166,123 38,642 30.3 
			 Selby and York 216,207 235,557 255,791 56,154 28.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: 2006-07 to 2007-08 primary care trust revenue allocations 
			   Allocation ( £ 000  Two year increase 
			  Primary Care Trust  2006-07  2007-08  £ 000  Percentage 
			 Craven, Harrogate and rural district 235,518 254,740 36,977 17.0 
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire 129,360 139,918 20,310 17.0 
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale 198,010 216,805 35,399 19.5 
			 Selby and York 307,131 335,917 53,344 18.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: 2008-09 primary care trust revenue allocations 
			Cash increase 
			  Primary Care Trust  Allocation  (£000)  £ 000  Percentage 
			 North Yorkshire and York 999,125 51,746 5.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: 2009-10 to 2010-11 primary care trust revenue allocations 
			   Allocation (£ 000 )  Two year increase 
			  Primary Care Trust  2009-10  2010-11  £ 000  Percentage 
			 North Yorkshire and York 1,076,587 1,139,019 118,557 11.6 
			  Notes: 1. On 1 October 2006, the number of PCTs reduced from 303 to 152. Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT, Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT and Selby and York PCT merged to become North Yorkshire and York PCT. Allocations were made to North Yorkshire and York PCT from 2008-09. 2. Comparisons between allocations should be made with caution because of changes to PCT baseline funding between rounds.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 219 of his Department's Annual Report 2009, what the reasons are for the difference between the level of spending on EEA medical costs in 2007-08 and the estimate of spending on such costs in 2008-09.

Gillian Merron: The figure for European Economic Area medical costs for 2008-09 in the Department's Annual Report is an estimate made during the 2008-09 year where as the 2007-08 cost is an actual cost. The actual costs for 2008-09 will be known after the National Audit Office have completed the audit of the 2008-09 figures and the Resources Accounts are ready for publication. This is expected to be during 2009.

Hospital Beds: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of intensive care beds provided by NHS trusts in  (a) the North East,  (b) Tees Valley and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not held in the format requested. However, information on the number of intensive care beds in the North East Strategic Health Authority area is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Intensive care : 
			  Name  Neonates  Paediatric 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 6  
			 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust 2  
			 North Tees And Hartlepool NHS Trust 17  
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 20 4 
			 The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 16 18 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority 61 22 
			  Note: The KH03 provides a count of available and occupied bed days by broad ward classification. It is an annual return and relates to available and occupied bed days over a 12-month period between 1 April of one year and 31 March of the following year. The average daily number of available beds is then calculated based on the number of reported bed days.  Source: Department of Health form KH03

Incontinence: Health Services

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will establish a continence care health improvement national programme.

Phil Hope: We have no plans to establish a continence care health improvement national programme.

Infectious Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) ebola,  (b) West Nile fever,  (c) yellow fever,  (d) sleeping sickness,  (e) dengue fever,  (f) anthrax poisoning,  (g) rabies,  (h) guinea worm disease,  (i) leprosy and  (j) Chagas's disease were recorded in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information available on the number of cases of the specified diseases from 2004 to 2008 is in the table. There were 24 laboratory diagnoses of Chagas disease in the United Kingdom from January 2005 to March 2009. An annual breakdown is not available.
	
		
			  Disease  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Ebola 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Nile fever 0 0 (1)1 (1)1 0 
			 Yellow fever 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sleeping sickness 0 2 0 1 1 
			 Dengue fever (2)120 (2)144 (2)166 (3)164 (3,4)167 
			 Anthrax poisoning 0 0 (5)1 0 (5)1 
			 Rabies 0 (6)1 0 0 (7)1 
			 Guinea worm disease 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leprosy(8) 1 4 7 5 7 
			 (1) Acquired in Canada (2) These data are confirmed, probable, and suspected cases. (3) These data are confirmed and probable cases. (4) Provisional total. (5) Fatal case of inhalational anthrax. (6) Dog bite in Goa (7) Dog bite in South Africa. (8) Leprosy data are statutory notifications by registered medical practitioners. Data for other diseases in the table are laboratory diagnoses.  Source: Health Protection Agency

Infectious Diseases: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases of  (a) mumps,  (b) measles and  (c) rubella there were in (i) the North East, (ii) Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: The available information is shown in the following table.
	The Health Protection Agency does not break down these data beyond the regional level.
	
		
			  Laboratory confirmed cases of Measles, Mumps and Rubella in the North East 1997  to  2008 
			   Measles  Mumps  Rubella 
			 2008 17 184 0 
			 2007 12 169 0 
			 2006 12 123 0 
			 2005 0 3,766 0 
			 2004 2 579 1 
			 2003 0 541 1 
			 2002 8 101 2 
			 2001 3 3 1 
			 2000 0 17 1 
			 1999 0 36 8 
			 1998 0 0 5 
			 1997 1 5 1

Influenza: Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many primary care trusts had designated influenza treatment distribution centres on 1 July 2009;
	(2)  what his most recent assessment is of the preparedness of primary care trusts for an influenza pandemic.

Gillian Merron: Data on the number of primary care trusts (PCTs) who have set up antiviral collection points are not collected centrally.
	The Department has been working closely with PCTs across the country to ensure their plans are robust, and so far the response from PCTs, particularly in areas of sustained transmission, has been very good in challenging circumstances.

Kidney Patients: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the London Borough of Bexley are receiving kidney dialysis treatment.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. Information on the prevalence of people on dialysis is collected by the UK Renal Registry.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust spent per capita on mental health services in each year since 2004-05; what proportion of the Trust's expenditure such spending represented in each such year; and where the Trust was placed in national rankings relating to primary care trust expenditure on mental health services in each such year.

Ann Keen: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  North Yorkshire and York primary care trust (PCT)-Expenditure on mental health disorders (estimated from programme budgeting data) 
			  Financial year  Estimated spend on mental health disorders (£/capita)  Expenditure on mental health disorders as a percentage of total expenditure  PCT ranking for mental health disorders by expenditure per capita 
			 2004-05 123.41 10 117 
			 2005-06 140.44 10 107 
			 2006-07 138.64 10 122 
			  Notes: 1. Data are best estimate of expenditure on own population. 2. Continual refinements made to the calculation methodology and to underlying data sources which makes like-for-like comparisons between years difficult. 3. Expenditure across all sectors is included. 4. Disease specific expenditure will not include expenditure on prevention, or GP expenditure, but will include prescribing expenditure. 5. Source of data are PCT financial programme budgeting returns. 6. 2007-08 Programme Data has not yet been published. 7. The population values used to calculate expenditure per capita are those used for PCT resource allocations, and have been weighted for age, sex and need. 8. Total expenditure is total expenditure on own population.  Source:  Programme Budgeting Data.

Methadone

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of people prescribed methadone were aged under 30 in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people have been prescribed methadone for more than three years in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: This information is not collected centrally.

Necrotizing Fasciitis

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of necrotizing fasciitis were recorded in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: These data are not collected centrally, but available information suggests cases of necrotising fasciitis are uncommon. Further information can be found at:
	www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/pastcon.htm#14

NHS Litigation Authority

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of the tax levied on claimant costs in cases involving the NHS Litigation Authority in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve the NHS Litigation Authority working through each and every claim within the five-year period.

NHS Litigation Authority

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the largest  (a) absolute and  (b) reduction in claimant costs consequent on the levying of tax in cases involving the NHS Litigation Authority in respect of which legal proceedings have been completed was in each of the last five years; and what the names of the solicitors were in each case.

Ann Keen: This answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve the NHS Litigation Authority working through each and every claim received within the five-year period.

NHS Litigation Authority

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases involving the NHS Litigation Authority in respect of which legal proceedings have been completed involving claimant costs of over £50,000 contested those costs in each of the last five years; in how many such cases those costs were reduced in each such year; and what the total monetary value was of such reductions.

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases involving claimant costs of over £50,000 the NHS Litigation Authority contested in the last 12 months; in how many of those cases costs were reduced following contest by the authority; and what the combined monetary value of such reductions was.

Ann Keen: While the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) contests the value of claimant costs on the vast majority of claims, to provide this answer would be at disproportionate cost as it would involve the NHSLA working through each and every claim within the five-year period where claimant costs were settled above £50,000.

NHS Litigation Authority

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases involving the NHS Litigation Authority in respect of which legal proceedings have been completed claimant costs exceeded the amount of compensation awarded in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information requested was supplied by the NHS Litigation Authority in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of claims closed where claimant costs exceeded damages  Total number of claims closed 
			 2004-05 2,384 11,250 
			 2005-06 2,330 9,369 
			 2006-07 2,555 9,879 
			 2007-08 3,438 10,611 
			 2008-09 3,380 10,006 
			 Total 14,087 51,115

NHS Litigation Authority

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases involving the NHS Litigation Authority claimant costs have exceeded the compensation awarded in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: In 2008-09, the NHS Litigation Authority closed 10,006 claims. Of those claims, 3,380 were closed with claimant costs exceeding the compensation awarded.

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which recruitment agencies are approved by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency to supply the NHS with medical staff.

Mike O'Brien: The following recruitment agencies have been awarded a place on the current NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency national framework agreement for the supply of medical locums:
	Accident and Emergency Agency Ltd.
	Ambition Recruitment Services Ltd
	Arthur Rai Medical Services Ltd.
	Athona Ltd.
	Britannic Medical Services Ltd.
	Capital Care Services (UK) Ltd.
	Care Providers
	Castlerock Care Services Ltd.
	Clinical Employment Services Ltd. (CES)
	Corrigan's Door Ltd.
	Doctors On Call Ltd.
	dr-locums
	DRC Locums Ltd.
	Evergood Associates Ltd.
	First Medical Staffing Solutions Ltd.
	Geneva Health International Ltd.
	G4S Integrated services (UK) Ltd. (formerly GSL UK Ltd.)
	Hays Healthcare
	Holt Medical Recruitment
	ID Medical
	InterAct Consulting (Reality HR)
	kcare nursing agency Ltd.
	Medacs Healthcare Services Plc
	Medecho Ltd.
	Medical Professional Personnel Ltd.
	Medicspro Ltd.
	Medicure Ltd.
	Mediplacements Ltd.
	Medpro Group
	Medsol Healthcare Services Ltd.
	Medteam Healthcare Ltd.
	Merco Recruitment Ltd.
	Mild Professional Care Ltd.
	Minutes Medical Staffing Ltd.
	Mylocum Ltd.
	Nationwide Locum Services Ltd.
	Northwest Locums Ltd.
	Orion Locums Ltd.
	Pioneer Recruitment Ltd.
	Pulse Healthcare Ltd. trading as Pulse Doctors
	Reed Healthcare
	Resuscitate Medical Services Ltd.
	Richmond Medical Agency
	RMR Recruitment Ltd.
	Scanloc
	Serving The Nation Locums Ltd.
	Sonographers Medical Ltd.
	Templars Medical Agency
	Thames Medics (HCL)
	The Anaesthetists Agency
	The Consultants Agency Ltd.
	Total Assist Recruitment Ltd.
	United Medicare Ltd.

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria a recruitment agency must meet in order to be approved by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency to supply the NHS with medical staff; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: All recruitment agencies must meet the following criteria in order to enter the tendering process to supply the national health service with medical locums:
	an initial pre-qualification check to assess the ability to supply medical staff and to obtain full details of the company requesting inclusion in the tender process;
	financial check from Dun and Bradstreet or similar;
	reference check from NHS customers;
	an audit to check that the policies and procedures are in place to meet NHS Employers standards for recruitment into the NHS covering identity, right to work, qualification, employment history, Criminal Records Bureau and occupational health checks;
	agreement with the NHS terms and conditions of contract; and
	a pricing structure which offers value for money to the NHS.

NHS: ICT

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many NHS trusts the National Programme for IT is fully operational.

Mike O'Brien: The National Programme for Information Technology (IT) is a long-term programme which presents an unprecedented opportunity to use IT to reform the way the national health service in England uses information, and to improve health services and patient care. As reported by the National Audit Office in May 2008, elements of the programme are already fully deployed across the NHS, some ahead of schedule. The NHS could not now function without the systems and services the programme has delivered.
	In line with best practice, the new IT services are being implemented incrementally across the NHS throughout the duration of the programme, with increasingly richer functionality being provided in successive software releases. For example, it is likely to be 2014-15 before all trusts have fully deployed systems to support the NHS care records service, though some should receive final releases of the software much sooner.
	National programme-delivered systems and services will continue to require upgrading over time in the light of new technology and the evolving requirements of the NHS.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 348-49W, on NHS: manpower, how many hours were supplied under each agreement in each financial year since the agreement came into effect.

Ann Keen: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Number of hours supplied under each framework agreement 
			  Framework agreement  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 AS/HSS/AHP - - 13,340,822 18,814,968 
			 Nursing - - 5,707,076 5,951,471 
			 Medical locums 1,024,361 1,962,028 2,522,698 2,624,202 
			 Ancillary - - 911,153 1,116,599 
			  Note: AS = Administrative Services HSS = Health Science staff AHP = Allied Health Professionals

NHS: Mental Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received treatment from the NHS for mental health problems in each of the last 30 years.

Phil Hope: This information is not available. Most treatment for mental health problems occurs in primary care settings, where information on the number of patients treated for specific conditions is not collected.
	Approximately one in six adults in England has a common mental illness, like anxiety or mild depression at any given time, with one in four adults experiencing mental ill heath at some stage in their lives. Approximately one in 100 people are thought to have a severe mental illness like schizophrenia or psychosis.

NHS: Waiting Lists

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2009,  Official Report, column 401W, on NHS: waiting lists, for what reasons data on the rate of patient deaths while on waiting lists for NHS operations are not held centrally.

Mike O'Brien: Central data collections ensure that the Department has the ability to monitor performance against standards and targets without placing significant burden on the national health service. More detailed information, for example, on people who have died while on a waiting list will be held on local systems within NHS organisations.
	Waiting times are now at the lowest levels since records began. In April 2009, the average patient waited 7.7 weeks from referral to admitted treatment and 4.2 weeks from referral to non-admitted treatment.

Chronic Pain: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point have been diagnosed with chronic pain in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information requested on the number of people diagnosed with chronic pain in the national health service is not collected centrally.

Primary Care Trusts: Dental Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts on the procedures to be followed in allocation of dental contracts by them; and what steps his Department is taking to monitor compliance with that guidance.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are expected to follow the same procedures when commissioning dental services-both in primary and secondary care-as in any other area of health service contracting. The Department published a PCT Procurement Guide for Health Services in May 2008, which supports National Health Service Commissioners in deciding whether and how to procure health services through formal tendering and market-testing exercises. It is one of the System Management tools and guidance documents and it is referenced in the Principles and Rules for Cooperation and Competition.
	In addition, the Cooperation and Competition Panel (The Panel) has been established to advise the Secretary of State (and his delegated authorities) and Monitor (The independent regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) on alleged breaches of the Principles and Rules for Cooperation and Competition (PRCC) which apply to all PCT contracted/funded services.
	Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.
	The Department has also published a large number of specific guidance documents and fact sheets on NHS primary care dental contracts which can be found on the Department's website. The most recent guidance was issued to PCTs on 29 May 2009 and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_099946
	A copy has been placed in the Library.

Putney Hospital: Non-domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much was paid in business rates liabilities on buildings on the site of the former Putney Hospital in each year from 1998-99 to 2009-10; and how much he expects to be paid in such liabilities in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12;
	(2)  what the rateable value of the former Putney Hospital site was in  (a) 1995,  (b) 2000 and  (c) 2005; and what he expects that value to be in 2010.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not held centrally.

Skin Cancer

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of skin cancers were diagnosed in each year since 1997.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of malignant melanoma of skin registered in England are for the year 2006. Figures for the years 1997 to 2006 are shown in the table below.
	
		
			  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma of skin,( 1)  England, 1997 to 2006 
			  England  Number 
			 1997 5,018 
			 1998 5,138 
			 1999 5,337 
			 2000 5,996 
			 2001 6,406 
			 2002 6,661 
			 2003 6,918 
			 2004 7,596 
			 2005 8,102 
			 2006 8,658 
			 (1) Malignant melanoma of skin is coded to C43 in the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10)  Source: Office for National Statistics

Social Services: Applications

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2009,  Official Report, column 354W, on social services: applications, for what reasons data on refusal of social care and support services are not collected.

Phil Hope: Specific information on how many applications for health and social care support services were refused following a positive assessment of need by a specialist can not be isolated from the overall data that are collected on the known or anticipated sequel of assessment for new clients following a social care assessment.
	Data included in 'No (new) services offered or intended to be provided' category, include those clients who are refused services, clients where the assessment has indicated that no (new) services are warranted and where the council with adult social services responsibilities is aware that services will be provided by another agency. In addition this category includes numbers relating to where services are warranted but no resources are available to provide them and where clients are fully funded and thus pay for their own service provision following assessment.
	The data are not collected separately but under the one category heading only.

Tobacco: Regulation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish  (a) his Department's comprehensive tobacco control strategy,  (b) draft regulations on tobacco displays and  (c) draft regulations on tobacco vending machines.

Gillian Merron: The new tobacco control strategy will be published by the end of the year.
	Draft regulations on tobacco displays and tobacco vending machines will be published during the summer recess.

Tobacco: Regulation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the costs of removing point of sale displays of tobacco from shops in Canada.

Gillian Merron: The Department sourced cost estimates from a Canadian company responsible for about 85 per cent. of the covered tobacco display market in Canada. The Department published the details of relevant correspondence on the Department's website on 3 July 2009. The correspondence can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/FreedomOfInformation/Freedom ofinformationpublicationschemefeedback/FOIreleases/DH_101835

Transplant Surgery: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waiting for organ transplants in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point had been waiting for longer than three weeks on the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The following table shows people who are currently(1) actively waiting and have been listed on the UK Transplant waiting list for more than three weeks in identified postcodes for Essex(2):
	(1) As at 8 July 2009.
	(2 )Postcodes CB10, 11, CM (not 21, 23), CO (not 10), EN9, IG7, 9, 10, RM4, 15-20, SS (not 17).
	
		
			  Organ(s)  Number of patients listed 
			 Kidney 95 
			 Kidney/Pancreas 11 
			 Liver 7 
			 Pancreas 4 
			 Heart 3 
			 Lung(s) 3 
			 Total 123 
		
	
	The following table shows patients who are currently(1) actively waiting and have been listed on the UK Transplant waiting list for more than three weeks in Castle Point(2):
	(1) As at 8 July 2009.
	(2) Postcodes SS7, 8.
	
		
			  Organ(s)  Number of patients listed 
			 Kidney 6 
			 Pancreas 1 
			 Total 7

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether all existing learners who started their training before 1 April 2009 on  (a) apprenticeship programmes and  (b) Train to Gain courses funded by the Learning and Skills Council will be funded to complete their existing training at the agreed rates.

Kevin Brennan: Learners legitimately starting their courses before 1 April 2009, whether Apprenticeships programmes or Train to Gain courses, will be funded to complete their training.
	Funding rates are set by the Learning and Skills Council for each funding year (the funding year runs from 1 August to 31 July). Learners who started during the 2008-09 academic year would be funded at the published rates for the provision delivered during 2008-09. Train to Gain Funding rates will increase by 1.5 per cent. in 2009-10 and all learners, both those continuing from 2008-09 into 2009-10 and new starts in 2009-10 will be funded at this higher rate from the start of the academic year. The detailed rates for 2009-10 have been published in the LSC funding guidance.
	Funding rates for Apprenticeships will also increase by 1.5 per cent. for 2009-10 but the funding rate for new 25+ Apprenticeship starts from 1 August 2009 will be funded at 90 per cent. of the 19-24 rate. Those learners that started a 25+ Apprenticeship during the 2008-09 academic year would continue to be funded at the full 19-24 rate.

Apprentices: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeship places that have been lost in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley and  (b) Greater London as a result of the recession in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: Data about the total number of apprentices made redundant are not currently held centrally. Arrangements are in place from 1 August 2009 onwards to record the number of apprentices who are made redundant. Working with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) we have established a matching service to help apprentices at risk of redundancy to find alternative employment and to complete their apprenticeship. More generally, providers and the LSC have procedures to advise and relocate apprentices, in cases where providers or employers fail, to help ensure that they are able to continue in work and complete their apprenticeship. The £140 million package announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister for an additional 35,000 apprenticeship places will help fund new provision in both the public sector and private sector, and will extend the opportunities available to people facing redundancy.

Aspire Fund

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for funding have been made to the Aspire fund since its creation; and what proportion of  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful applications made to the fund were from female entrepreneurs.

Rosie Winterton: Since the launch of the Aspire Fund on 19 November the fund has received around 80 general enquiries and 57 specific approaches for investment.
	The Aspire Investment Committee has made two offers, both accepted, which are expected to complete by the end of June and early July, totalling £850,000.
	There are seven further deals under active consideration totalling around £3.4 million of investment.
	All of the 57 approaches have related to businesses where the founder or co-founder is female or a significant proportion of the senior management team are female.

British Airways

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates the Secretary of State met representatives of British Airways since June 2007; what issues were discussed; who attended each meeting; whether a record of each meeting was kept; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The then Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton), met with Willie Walsh (chief executive) and Maria De Cunha (director, Government Affairs), on 19 June 2008; and my noble Friend the Secretary of State met with them on 9 December 2008. They discussed a range of issues facing British Airways and the aviation industry.

Broadband

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likelihood of every home in Britain having access to 2MB broadband by 2012.

Patrick McFadden: It is the Government's intention that all households will be able to have access to a broadband connection capable of delivering at least 2 Mbps by 2012. The Digital Britain White Paper published on 16 June confirmed the Government's commitment to providing universal broadband access that can deliver at least 2 Mbps to virtually all UK homes and businesses by 2012.

Broadband

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps have been taken by the Government to help implement the Community Broadband Network's proposals for an umbrella body for local and community broadband networks.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 11 June 2009
	 The Government have held several discussions with the Community Broadband Network (CBN) and set out in the Digital Britain Report, published on 16 June, how they will take forward this action.
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/6216.aspx

Broadband

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department plans to raise from the private sector before 2012 to fund universal broadband commitment of two megabits per second.

Patrick McFadden: Government are committing an anticipated £200 million of public funds to deliver the Universal Service Commitment. It is envisaged that the remainder of the costs will be met from the private sector through in-kind contributions, competitive commercial pricing through tender contract and design, and contributions from other public sector organisations. It is impossible at this stage to determine what the total cost may be. The finer details will be looked at by the proposed Network Design and Procurement Group.

Broadband: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of households without access to broadband in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point.

Patrick McFadden: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of people living in remote rural areas of  (a) the Vale of York,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) England who have access to broadband.
	(2)  what proportion of households in rural areas in  (a) the Vale of York,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) England have access to (i) a digital subscriber line (DSL) at speeds of at least 512 kBits/s and (ii) cable broadband services of at least 2Mbps.

Patrick McFadden: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Building Britain's Future

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to paragraph 36 of Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, which Department will sponsor the proposed new Infrastructure UK advisory body.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The development of Infrastructure UK will be led by Lord Davies of Abersoch, reporting to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the First Secretary of State. It will be supported by a joint HM Treasury/Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills secretariat.

Business

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the cost to businesses of compliance with  (a) EU and  (b) UK regulations in 2009-10 to date.

Ian Lucas: The costs to business from new regulations are included in published Impact Assessments which can be accessed at:
	www.ialibrary.berr.gov.uk
	Developing robust estimates of the costs to business of complying with all existing regulations would involve disproportionate cost.

Business: Government Assistance

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many applications for the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme have been  (a) received and  (b) approved;
	(2)  how many successful applications for the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme have been taken up by businesses.

Rosie Winterton: Since its launch on 14 January 2009 the Enterprise Finance Guarantee has over £573 million of eligible applications from 5,090 firms that have been granted, are being processed or assessed. 3,697 businesses have been offered loans totalling £364.33 million.

Business: Government Assistance

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department has issued to lenders consequent upon the extension of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme to agricultural businesses.

Rosie Winterton: Revised guidance was incorporated into the web portal used by lenders to determine eligibility and guidance issued to lenders via Capital for Enterprise Ltd (CfEL). Additionally, details are on the BIS website at
	www.bis.gov.uk
	and are shared with the regional development agencies and Business Link.

Business: Government Assistance

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications have been made to the Capital for Enterprise Fund; and how many of these have met the eligibility criteria.

Rosie Winterton: As from 11 June 2009, the Capital for Enterprise Fund has received 459 formal inquiries. From these 169 have been rejected on the basis of ineligibility. 278 of these applications fit broad eligibility criteria subject to further information and are under consideration. 12 of the applications meet all eligibility criteria and offers have been made totalling £12.4 million.

Business: Government Assistance

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department is providing to small and medium-sized businesses in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point.

Rosie Winterton: East of England Development Agency provides an integrated package of business support, accessible through Business Link; key examples for Essex and Castle Point are:
	Regional Business Link service which includes the Train to Gain training brokerage service for businesses. In 2008/09, Business Link interacted with 28,223 businesses in Essex, of which over 1,088 are in Castle Point.
	52 Essex businesses have received support for enhanced ICT through EEDA's TakeItOn programme totalling over £144,000 since December 2007.
	Over the last 18 months Manufacturing Advisory Service East (MAS-East) has assisted 138 manufacturing businesses in Essex, and completed projects that have generated £2,553,100 estimated GVA.
	659 Essex women are signed up to Enterprising Women, EEDA's specialist business support for women entrepreneurs.
	Essex businesses have won nine contracts for Olympic opportunities through the CompeteFor programme out of 28 total awards to the region.
	In the past year, six Essex businesses have received £95,100 from EEDA's Proof of Concept and Grants for Research and Development funding streams.
	Since 2004, over 400 companies in Southend-on-Sea have received business support through the new Southend University Campus.
	EEDA is also implementing the 'Solutions for Business' programme to make access to support easier and has recently launched the 'Understanding Finance for Businesses' product.
	On 14 January 2009 we launched the Real Help Now for Business measures to support businesses in the current economic climate. These include useful information, advice and tools to help businesses with staff, cash flow and access finance measures, such as:
	The £1.3 billion Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme supports bank lending, up to £1 million, to viable small businesses which, due to the current economic downturn, are struggling to secure the finance they need through normal, commercial lending.
	EFG data are available at district and county level and as at 24 June, Essex county offered 92 loans with a total value of £8.39 million of which 58 have been drawn with a total value of £5.81 million
	Included in this total is Castle Point. Nine loans were offered with a total value of £977,000 of which six loans have been drawn with a total value of £899,000.
	In addition to the above there are the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. These have an additional 20 loans offered with a value of 1.12million of which 13 loans have been drawn with a total value of £866,000.
	Capital for Enterprise Fund (CfEL) announced in PBR 2008 as a £50 million debt for equity fund, this now provides £75 million of equity, made up £50 million of Government funds and an additional £25 million from high street banks. The fund provides equity and quasi-equity of £250,000 to £2 million for companies under the EU SME definition, ie with turnover of up to €50 million, who have viable business models and growth potential in need of long term capital. Risk will be shared equally between government funds and those committed by the banks. Data for the CfEL are only available at regional level at present.
	The Working Capital Scheme which (though not available to business to apply for) enables participating lenders to increase the amount of working capital they can make available to businesses with a turnover of up to £500 million.
	As part of the Real Help offered to businesses, they could undertake a Health Check (an impartial and objective assessment of business performance to identify; key strengths, prioritising areas for improvement and highlighting business opportunities) either on-line or with a Business Link adviser. Since the end of October 2008, over 57,000 businesses have undertaken a Health Check with more than 5,400 benefiting in the East of England.
	Further details of the Real Help for Business finance measures and the wide range of information, advice and tools are available via
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp.

Business: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to assist  (a) small,  (b) medium-sized and  (c) large businesses in Peterborough constituency.

Rosie Winterton: East of England Development Agency supports businesses in Peterborough in a number of ways and has highlighted key examples as follows:
	In 2008-09, Business Link interacted with 1,684 businesses in Peterborough through its Train to Gain training brokerage service for businesses.
	In the past years seven Peterborough companies have received Take ITon grants totalling £25,220. These grants have focused on helping small and medium enterprises to improve use of IT.
	Over the last 18 months Manufacturing Advisory Service East (MAS-East) has supported 20 businesses in Peterborough, having worked intensively with three businesses to generate an estimated Gross Value Added of £88,000.
	140 Peterborough women are signed up to Enterprising Women, EEDA's specialist support for women entrepreneurs.
	So far Peterborough has 150 businesses registered on CompeteFor, a web portal for promoting Olympic opportunities to businesses.
	Two projects have been funded through Grant for Business Investment (to support companies in expanding their business through capital investment) with a total contribution of £144,000. This has levered in £823,000 in business investment.
	Two projects are currently being funded to help companies increase their research and development (RD) capability through Grant for Research.
	Development (GRAD) with a total contribution of £258,000. This has levered in £742,000 in business investment.
	£2.2 million has funded a regional response to redundancy programme which has supported companies across the region and in Peterborough.
	EEDA is implementing the 'Solutions for Business' programme to make accessing support easier. A breakfast event will be held at the Peterborough Eco Centre in July with a larger business event organised in conjunction with Opportunity Peterborough for later in the year to target Peterborough businesses. EEDA has also recently launched the Understanding Finance for Businesses product, with the purpose of helping SMEs to be investment ready and signposting to relevant sources of funding.
	EEDA funded £750,000 towards the Learning Centre at Perkins in Peterborough, to help create an expanded high-tech, world-class in-industry training facility in RD, design and production available to local people, businesses, educational establishments and other organisations.

Business: Government Assistance

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employers in  (a) England and  (b) Luton sought advice on redundancy issues from his Department and its predecessors in (i) the latest period for which figures are available and (ii) the same period 12 months previously.

Patrick McFadden: Employers are able to seek advice on redundancy issues from the Department via the Business Link helpline and website, the ACAS helpline and the redundancy payments service helpline. The available figures are set out in the following table, except for calls to the redundancy payments service helpline, which are not categorised or recorded by group.
	
		
			   May 
			   2008( 1)  May 2009 
			  ACAS Helpline   
			 Percentage of total calls from employers that were about redundancy issues 19.9 27.2 
		
	
	
		
			   March 
			   2008  March 2009 
			  Business Link (Luton)   
			 Calls to helpline 0 2 
			 Response to redundancy project No data available (2)10 
		
	
	
		
			   March 
			   2008  2009 
			  Business Link (England) No data available No data available 
		
	
	
		
			   April 
			   2008  2009 
			  Business Link Website   
			 Guidance (visits) 28,050 68,740 
			 Redundancy tool 2,487 4,004 
			 Redundancy calculator No data available 39,474 
			 (1) Relates to two weeks only, due to the introduction of new technology. (2) Project began in September 2008.  Note: Although guidance was also available on the BIS (BERR) website in 2008, hits/visits were not categorised or recorded by group.

Business: Government Assistance

Michael Meacher: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much financial assistance his Department and its predecessors have provided to companies in each year since 1990; under what budgetary headings such assistance was given in each year; which 10 companies received the most such funding in each year; and how much each such company received each year.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 6 July 2009
	 The information requested is not held centrally and, where available, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Business: Government Assistance

Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills by what means businesses will be able to obtain funding from the  (a) Strategic Investment Fund and  (b) Innovation Fund.

Patrick McFadden: Although the Strategic Investment Fund is not a fund to which businesses can apply directly, BIS seeks and continues to engage with business to understand opportunities and challenges they face and use the Fund in areas in which Government action can have a bigger impact. The aim of £750 million Strategic Investment Fund-which was announced in Budget 2009-is to support advanced industrial projects of strategic importance, of which £250 million has been ring fenced specifically for low carbon initiatives, a further £50 million for the Technology Strategy Board and £10 million to promote UK sector expertise through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). The Fund will help to deliver the Government's strategy as set out in the 'Building Britain's Future-New Industry New Jobs' framework document, published on 20 April 2009, and will allow Government to support advanced industrial projects of strategic importance to the UK's economic renewal and future growth.
	The UK Innovation Investment Fund will operate on a Fund of Funds structure which means it will not invest directly in companies, but rather invest in a small number of specialist technology funds that have the expertise and track record to invest directly in companies. A Fund of Funds manager will be appointed over 2009 to manage the fund and make investments in underlying technology funds with the expertise and track record to invest directly in technology businesses.

Business: Overseas Trade

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment UK Trade and Investment has made of the UK's business competitiveness in international markets in each of the last three years; and against which competitors each assessment was made.

Ian Lucas: UK Trade and Investment has made two assessments of the UK's business competitiveness in the last three years, the first in 2007 and the second in 2009.
	The 2007 study assessed UK competitiveness against that of France, Germany, the USA and Japan for the period 1996 to 2004. The study looked specifically at exports of goods from eight sectors to 12 emerging markets and compared UK performance in these sectors and markets with that of the four competitors. The study is entitled Mapping the match between UK exports and demand in emerging markets and is available on the UKTI website at URL:
	https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/fileDownload/UKTIUKexportsreportforwebamended291107.pdf?cid=409154
	The 2009 study assessed UK competitiveness against that of Germany, the USA and Japan over the period 2002-07. It considered export of goods from 16 sectors to 11 destination markets and compared UK performance in these sectors and markets with that of the three competitors. The report of this work will be available on the UKTI website in due course.
	Both pieces of research have been carried out by external contractors. International trade statistics take time to collate, hence, 2007 data was the latest available for the 2009 study.
	BIS has two assessments of UK business competitiveness in 2008.
	A study on green business and UK comparative advantage which compared the UK to other OECD member countries. The report is available at URL:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46793.pdf
	A study of the design engineering sector compared the cost efficiency of the UK with the US and Europe. The report is available at URL:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44824.pdf

Conditions of Employment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures are in place on the use of local employment contracts in infrastructure expenditure by local and central government agencies.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Public procurers are required to seek value-for-money through fair and open competition. They must comply with EU treaty open market principles and the UK public procurement Regulations implementing the 2004 EU public procurement directives. These set out the value for money criteria to be used for the award of public contracts. Any preferential treatment for local companies or those offering local employment is not allowed.

Construction Clearing House

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has yet established its proposed construction clearing house.

Kevin Brennan: The Construction Clearing House (Apprenticeship Matching Service) was established in September 2008 by ConstructionSkills (the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry), the Learning and Skills Council and the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Its purpose is to ensure that construction apprentices, at risk of redundancy, are not lost to the industry.

Construction Task Force

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has yet established its proposed construction task force.

Kevin Brennan: The Construction Apprenticeships Task Force was established by the then Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, my right hon. Friend for Southampton Itchen (Mr. Denham) with Construction Skills (the Sector Skills Council for the construction sector), in November 2008 to review the approach to Apprenticeships within the construction sector and to make recommendations to Government.

Departmental Buildings

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department is negotiating to end the lease of any buildings leased by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills did not lease any buildings. There are no negotiations under way for any of the buildings previously occupied by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to be vacated, except (in the case of the buildings in Sheffield and Darlington) the plans to relocate jointly with DCSF to new premises in the same city. These plans were developed long before the creation of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

James Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from offices in his Department and its predecessors in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Patrick McFadden: This Department and its predecessors recorded the following carbon dioxide emissions during the periods requested:
	
		
			  Kgs 
			   Total CO 2  emissions  Per FTE 
			 2006-07 9,252,827 2,279.6 
			 2007-08 8,487,264 1,854.7

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for his Department's predecessors' estate in each year from 2004 to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans he has for future energy efficiency measures.

Patrick McFadden: Due to changes in our operations and maintenance service providers, BIS can only provide data on spend on energy efficiency measures for its predecessors for the past two years. The amounts spent are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 75, 000 
			 2008-09 62, 000 
		
	
	BIS is continuing to work towards achieving the energy efficiency targets expressed in the Sustainable Operation of the Government Estate (SOGE) framework. Our main strategy has been to gain efficiencies through a reduction in the physical size of the estate and the number of buildings, occupied by the introduction of new ways of working, including flexible desking. As a result the size of the BIS estate has been reduced by 58 per cent. and its overall carbon footprint has been cut by 26 per cent. since the baseline year of 1999-2000. Energy consumption has reduced across the whole estate by 11.2 per cent. since 1999-2000.
	The Department has recently undertaken energy audits across its estate. Projects identified to reduce carbon emissions include using lighting controls more effectively (e.g. £11,000 p.a. savings on improved lighting for the 1 Victoria Street underground car park), improved building management controls at our HQ buildings at 1 Victoria Street and Kingsgate House, piloting the use of LED technology in 1 Victoria Street and the installation of Automated Metering and Targeting across the HQ estate. Although it is too early to evaluate the latter, it has already led to the identification of instances where plant has been running when not necessary.
	So far as future plans are concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the August 2008 Sustainable Procurement and Operations on the Government Estate Delivery plan
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Delivery-Plan.pdf
	and the December 2008 Delivery Plan Update
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Delivery_Plan_ Update_Dec08.pdf.

Departmental Energy

James Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the energy consumed per full-time equivalent member of staff in his Department and its predecessors in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Patrick McFadden: BIS and its predecessors have consumed the following amounts of energy per full-time equivalent member of staff during the periods requested:
	
		
			  kWh 
			   Total energy (electricity and gas)  Per FTE 
			 2006-07 20,102,208 4,953 
			 2007-08 19,109,231 4,176

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6.

Patrick McFadden: As part of its long term PFI Agreement with Fujitsu, the Department is currently reviewing its options for the technology refresh of software such as Internet Explorer 6.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what changes have been made to his Department's and its predecessor's  (a) office equipment and  (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months.

Patrick McFadden: No changes have been made during the last six months to this Department or its predecessors' purchasing policy for office equipment and stationery.

Departmental Waste

James Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount of waste arising from his Department and its predecessors in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Patrick McFadden: BIS and its predecessors have produced the following amounts of waste arisings:
	
		
			  Kgs 
			   Total waste arisings  Per FTE 
			 2006-07 530,400 130.67 
			 2007-08 640,800 140.03 
		
	
	The figures for 2007-08 are higher due to the rationalisation of BIS predecessors estate and the resultant staff movements between buildings.

Departmental Water

James Paice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the water consumption on the office estate of his Department and its predecessors in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07, (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Patrick McFadden: The BIS estate and its predecessors' water consumption was as follows:
	
		
			   Total water consumption (m3)  Per FTE (m3) 
			 2005-06 55,708 11.81 
			 2006-07 29,302 7.22 
		
	
	BIS's predecessor rationalised its estate during 2006-07, which contributed to substantial reduction in water consumption.

Digital Broadcasting: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) households and  (b) businesses in Wales liable to pay the levy on fixed copper lines proposed in the Digital Britain White Paper.

Patrick McFadden: This Department has made no specific estimate of the number of  (a) households and  (b) businesses in Wales liable to pay the proposed levy of 50p per month on each fixed copper line proposed in the Digital Britain report. The independent telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, however estimates that there are 1,380,941 fixed BT lines in Wales.
	Under existing rules any individual in receipt of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, pensions credit (guaranteed credit) or employment and support allowance (income related) is entitled to social telephony. As set out in the Digital Britain White Paper published on 16 June 2009 the Government do not wish to see a widening digital divide. Therefore the Government expect that individuals entitled to social telephony packages would also be exempt from the broadband levy to fund the deployment of next generation networks.

Education: Standards

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Joint Education task force on establishments offering educational careers but not providing education to recognised standards.

Kevin Brennan: None.
	The joint education taskforce (JET) is composed of representatives from across the education sector. It is not a ministerial group. The aim of the JET is to support partnership working across government and with all the key stakeholder groups on immigration issues affecting international students.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of implementing the EU Agency Workers Directive; and what his policy is on the application of the new burden doctrine to implementation of that Directive.

Patrick McFadden: The Impact Assessment accompanying the Consultation Paper published by the Department on 8 May 2009 (www.bis.gov.uk/files/file51197.pdf) set out the estimated costs and benefits of the directive. Figures are not available for the specific cost to local authorities, although costs were included for public sector hirers of agency workers. Under a 12-week qualifying period for equal treatment, as agreed under the TUC/CBI agreement of 20 May 2008, the cost to public sector hirers was estimated to be between £227 and £337 million a year.
	Government policy for implementing the directive is to ensure appropriate protection for agency workers while maintaining a flexible labour market, by minimising administrative burdens. Implementation requirements will apply equally to private and public sector users of agency workers and will not therefore impose a disproportionate new burden on local authorities.

Greece

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which individuals  (a) whose travel and  (b) accommodation was paid for out of public funds accompanied the Secretary of State on his recent visit to Greece.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 July 2009
	My noble Friend the Secretary of State was accompanied by his Private Secretary, for the initial part of his visit to Greece.

Higher Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will assess systems for widening participation in higher education applied in other countries for the purposes of the development of best practice in England.

David Lammy: The Department has funded research to identify relevant practice on widening participation in higher education in other countries, to help inform practice in this country. This research has yet to be published.

Higher Education: Admissions

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency and  (b) Hertfordshire were admitted to university in England in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The number of all-aged entrants to higher education institutions in England from Hemel Hempstead constituency and Hertfordshire local authority area are shown in the table. Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in January 2010.

Higher Education: Palestinians

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department plans to provide an exchange programme for Palestinian academics similar to the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership scheme.

David Lammy: The Government remain committed in principle to supporting a programme for Palestinian PhD students, as a counterpart to the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange partnership scheme. The British Council has meanwhile drawn up proposals to enable a small number of Palestinian students to undertake PhD courses in the United Kingdom. This will be reliant on securing private sector funding, which we are actively seeking.

Insolvency

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) direct and  (b) indirect contribution to the UK economy made by the insolvency sector.

Ian Lucas: No recent estimate has been made by my Department of the direct and indirect contribution to the UK economy made by the insolvency sector.

Insolvency Service: Finance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on average how much was held in the Insolvency Service's account in each month of the last three years.

Ian Lucas: The Insolvency Service conducts its day to day business banking through the Office of the Paymaster General. We do not keep average monthly balance information. The following table shows the balance held on the last day of each month for the last three years:
	
		
			  £000 s 
			  Month  2009  2008  2007  2006 
			 January 11,961 7,321 18,799 - 
			 February 19,061 10,116 15,566 - 
			 March 4,823 6,854 7,195 - 
			 April 10,903 10,059 10,993 - 
			 May 11,644 5,558 17,029 - 
			 June 5,838 8,398 10,891 - 
			 July - 5,251 13,656 15,255 
			 August - 10,855 8,498 16,420 
			 September - 6,013 4,934 19,344 
			 October - 11,793 9,525 13,587 
			 November - 10,910 11,255 19,456 
			 December - 10,604 10,103 17,257 
		
	
	These figures do not include moneys held on trust for insolvency estates which are held in the insolvency services account or the insolvency services investment account. The figures also do not include funds for the payment of statutory redundancy payments from the national insurance fund administered by the Insolvency Service.

Insolvency: Logistics

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many insolvencies in the logistical transport sector were recorded in Wales in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Insolvency statistics are not currently available centrally broken down by both industry sector and region, below the published level of England and Wales as a whole. Further, the Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC 2003) currently in use does not identify logistical transport as a composite industry category.

Learning and Skills Council for England

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on Managing Demand (LSC 21/2009) presented to the meeting of the Council of the Learning and Skills Council on 22 April 2009.

Kevin Brennan: The acting chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council has recently undertaken a review of its National Council minutes and has decided that he will make public the full minutes from these meetings, except for any sensitive or confidential information which is exempt under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. The minutes can be found at:
	www.lsc.gov.uk
	The LSC does not routinely publish papers for council meetings but we have asked its acting chief executive to review whether it would be appropriate to do so in this case, subject to the determining whether the paper contains any exempt information as defined in Freedom of Information Act, and to write to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Secretary of State plans to reply to the letter of 6 April 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. D Healey.

Patrick McFadden: I apologise to my right hon. Friend for the delay in responding. My right hon. Friend will receive a response shortly.

Minimum Wage: Gratuities

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses in  (a) Peterborough constituency and  (b) the UK using tips as a means of ensuring their employees receive the national minimum wage; what estimate his Department has made of (i) the number of employees involved and (ii) the monetary value of such tips in the last 12 months; what steps his Department plans to take on the matter; and what assessment has been made of the effects of the practice on expenditure on benefits.

Patrick McFadden: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of businesses in  (a) Peterborough constituency, and  (b) in the UK, using tips as a means of ensuring their employees receive the national minimum wage as this data are not collected.
	Using the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings we have estimated that (i) the number of employees who could be receiving tips to make up wages to the national minimum wage is around 60,000 and (ii) the monetary value of such tips to be £82 million per year.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for benefit payments. DWP has not made an assessment of the effects of the practice on expenditure on benefits as to do so could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	From 1 October 2009 we will be amending National Minimum Wage regulations so that tips can no longer be used to pay national minimum wage.

National Skills Academies: Finance

Edward Timpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the next funding round for national skills academies to take place.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 6 July 2009
	 An announcement will be made as soon as is practicable.

Network Design and Procurement Group

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Government plans to establish the Network Design and Procurement Group proposed in the Digital Britain Report; what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the group; and from which of his Department's budgets he expects such costs to be met.

Patrick McFadden: The Government plan to establish the Network Design and Procurement Group with the appointment of a CEO in October this year. We expect the group to be small, containing approximately four to five people. The running costs of the group have yet to be agreed but we expect to be in the region of £500,000 to £1 million per year, and will be funded from the overall budget for the delivery of the Universal Service Commitment and Next Generation proposals.

Postal Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Royal Mail post boxes there are in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the chief executive, Adam Crozier, to reply direct to my hon. Friend.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the South West Regional Economic Task Group has met; what timetable that group has set for future meetings; and whether the agendas and minutes of such meetings are published.

Rosie Winterton: The South West Regional Economic Task Group has met on eight occasions since its establishment in November 2008. The group's next meeting will take place on Monday 20 July. Dates for future meetings are currently being arranged.
	Agendas, papers and minutes of all meeting are published on the Regional Economic Task Group website
	www.swretg.org.uk.

Rural Network Subsidy

Brian Binley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria are used by the Post Office to allocate funds from the Rural Network Subsidy.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Skillfast UK

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect on small and medium-sized businesses of the closure of Skillfast UK.

Kevin Brennan: Skillfast UK has been assessed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills against the standards set out in the Relicensing Framework for Sector Skills Councils. The UK Commission recommendation to Government that Skillfast UK has not met the standard required of an SSC is now the subject of an appeal by Skillfast UK. The UK Commission will provide further advice to Government on the outcome of the Skillfast UK appeal. In the event that an SSC did not have its licence renewed, it would be asked to work with the UK Commission to ensure that the skills needs of the sector in question continue to be met, including the needs of small and medium sized businesses. This would include access for employers to high quality labour market information about skills, and the continued development of national occupational standards that underpin qualifications that meet both employer and individual needs.

Strategic Investment Fund

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when funding first became available under the Strategic Investment Fund; which Government bodies will administer the fund; what guidelines apply to the allocation of grants from the fund; how much has been allocated under the fund; and which organisations have received funding.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 12 June 2009
	In the Budget 2009, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the £750 million Strategic Investment Fund to support advanced industrial projects of strategic importance, of which £250 million has been ring fenced specifically for low carbon initiatives, a further £50 million for the Technology Strategy Board and £10 million to promote UK sector expertise through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).
	The Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) will administer this fund; however the £250 million low carbon element will be allocated only to those initiatives that have been jointly agreed between BIS and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	The aim of the fund is to help ensure that the UK remains well positioned to emerge from the economic downturn in a globally competitive position. All proposals will be appraised in line with Green Book principles, particularly to ensure that they provide good value for money in delivering longer term benefits to the UK economy, as well as ensuring there are clear delivery mechanisms and monitoring and evaluation procedures in place.
	Work is moving at pace to agree how the money will be allocated. Investments will be prioritised on where there are economic opportunities for UK-based businesses and where government action can make a real and beneficial impact.
	There are a number of proposals currently being considered to help deliver the Government's strategy as set out in the 'Building Britain's Future-New Industry New Jobs' document published on 20 April 2009. Within the context of that document the Government will be bringing forward more detailed statements of policy in the weeks and months ahead. A number of these may draw on the Strategic Investment Fund. Naturally, as these are strategic investment opportunities there will be a time lag between agreement of proposals and funds being spent.

Students: Finance

Tim Boswell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time students in receipt of student awards will experience a reduction in disposable income from the combined effects of the freeze in the level of awards and the annual uplift in tuition charges in the next academic year; and what his estimate is of the maximum amount of this reduction.

David Lammy: The uplift in tuition charges in the 2010-11 academic year will have no impact on disposable income for students in receipt of student support. The maximum tuition fee is set to increase by 2.04 per cent. in 2010-11 and the maximum tuition fee loan will increase by the same amount to reflect this rise. Therefore all students will continue to have the full cost of their tuition fees covered in the form of a tuition fee loan.

Students: Loans

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much money collected by HM Revenue and Customs for the Student Loans Company (SLC) has not been allocated by the SLC against individual accounts.

David Lammy: holding answer 7 July 2009
	HMRC has collected £1.623 billion in student loan repayments since income-contingent loans were introduced in 1998. As at 1 June 2009, the Student Loans Company (SLC) held £1.4 million which had not been applied to customers' accounts due to data matching issues. This figure covers the whole UK. SLC actively addresses this through managed processes to reconcile the repayments against the customers' accounts.
	SLC does not record the subject of complaints in sufficient detail to provide the data requested in relation to complaints. SLC aims to respond to all letters of complaint within 10 working days of receipt.

Telecommunications

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the Government-led strategy group on next generation access networks has met.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 11 June 2009
	The strategy group has been a working group rather than a formal committee. It has held regular discussions with stakeholders. The conclusions of the group are published in the final Digital Britain Report, published on 16 June 2009 at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/6216.aspx

Telephones: Fees and Charges

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of households on social telephony tariffs; and whether such households will be exempt from the proposed levy on fixed copper lines.

Patrick McFadden: Under existing rules any individual in receipt of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, pensions credit (guaranteed credit) or employment and support allowance (income related) is entitled to social telephony. As set out in the Digital Britain White Paper published on 16 June 2009 the Government do not wish to see a widening digital divide. Therefore the Government expect that individuals entitled to social telephony packages would also be exempt from the broadband levy to fund the deployment of next generation networks.
	Under current records maintained by the independent telecoms regulator Ofcom, there are currently approximately 850,000 households on social telephony tariffs. The social telephony schemes from BT are available to those on income support, income-based job seeker's allowance, employment support allowance (income-rated) or guaranteed pensions credit.

Train to Gain Programme: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point constituency have successfully completed a Train to Gain course.

Kevin Brennan: In 2007/08, there were 280 Train to Gain achievements for learners living in Castle Point, and 4,300 Train to Gain achievements for learners living in Essex.

Train to Gain Programme: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residents of  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point constituency who have registered for Train to Gain courses have not yet commenced their training.

Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) delivers the Train to Gain programme on behalf of the Department. It counts the number of learners who register for Train to Gain at the point where they formally start on programmes. However, there is no formal registration process before a learner starts and therefore no central mechanism is in place to measure the number of people registering an interest.
	The LSC is working closely with providers to support ongoing new starts for the remainder of the 2008/09 academic year where providers are within their maximum contract value. Maximum contract values for 2009/10 academic year were finalised in June.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to provide a substantive answer to question 278968 tabled on 8 June 2009 by the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire, on the role of the Enterprise Champion; what the reasons for the time taken are; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 2 July 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 July 2009,  Official Report, column 596W. The Department endeavours to answer parliamentary questions as quickly as possible and apologises for the delay on this occasion.